Full Title: The Role of Public Benefits in Supporting Workers and Communities Affected by Energy Transition
Author(s): Jake Higdon, Molly Robertson
Publisher(s): Resources for the Future, Environmental Defense Fund
Publication Date: November 12, 2020
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
For thousands of retired US coal miners suffering from black lung disease, disability benefits from the federal government provide critical support for treatment and health care. As the economy moves away from fossil fuels, other types of public benefits programs could also deliver relief to affected coal workers and fossil fuel communities when work-based benefits are lost. These programs, which range from unemployment assistance to Social Security, also provide a foundation for workers and communities to thrive in a clean economy.
In a new report, Resources for the Future (RFF) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) examine existing public benefits programs and their potential roles in preserving the economic security, health, and well-being of fossil fuel workers and communities in transition.