Renewable Energy's Dark Side: Environmental Justice Concerns in Wind and Solar Power

Strategic Insights -

Research has been conducted to examine environmental justice issues in a case study of a proposed pumped storage facility in Goldendale, Washington. The study revealed that despite popular perceptions of renewable energy as new and green, the construction of such facilities can have devastating impacts on local communities, particularly Indigenous groups. The research, led by Alida Cantor of Portland State University, highlights the need for more inclusive and community-led processes in the development of renewable energy projects.

Key Takeaways:

  • Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power produce electricity intermittently, creating challenges in balancing electricity supply and demand for increasingly renewable-dominated grids.
  • The construction of pumped storage facilities, such as the one proposed in Goldendale, Washington, raises concerns about environmental justice and the impact on local communities, particularly Indigenous groups.
  • The research concludes that the environmental justice impacts of renewable energy projects represent continuity with past patterns of settler colonialism and extractive development.
  • The study highlights the need for more inclusive and community-led processes in the development of renewable energy projects to ensure that the benefits and risks are shared equitably.
  • The Portland State University research was funded by the National Science Foundation Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences program, and was supported by the National Science Foundation and Reed College Summer Opportunity Fellowship Award program.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Antipode, with the full article available online through Wiley-Blackwell.

Statistics:

  • The proposed pumped storage facility in Goldendale, Washington, is expected to have significant environmental impacts on the surrounding area.
  • The facility is projected to produce 1.5 million megawatt-hours of electricity per year.
  • The National Science Foundation provided $250,000 in funding for the research.
  • The study involved a case study of a single proposed pumped storage facility, but has broader implications for the renewable energy industry as a whole.

Sources:

  • Cantor, Alida, et al. "Energy Storage and Environmental Justice: a Critical Examination of a Proposed Pumped Hydropower Facility In Goldendale, Washington." Antipode, 2025; 57(4): 1236-1258. Wiley-Blackwell.
  • NewsRx. "Studies from Portland State University Add New Findings in the Area of Renewable Energy (Energy Storage and Environmental Justice: a Critical Examination of a Proposed Pumped Hydropower Facility In Goldendale, Washington)." Ecology, Environment & Conservation, 11 July 2025.