Local Electric Vehicle and Battery Manufacturing Communities Under Shifting Policy Priorities
This project investigates how recent shifts in federal policy, particularly following the rollback of key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) under the Trump administration, are impacting local communities that became “boom towns” due to electric vehicle and battery manufacturing investments. Focusing on three Southeastern U.S. towns—Stanton, TN; Rincon, NC; and Blythewood, SC—the research examines changes in social, economic, and political conditions as experienced and perceived by local residents, officials, and stakeholders. Drawing on previous fieldwork and a new round of interviews, focus groups, and secondary data analysis, the project aims to assess the resilience of green industrial policy at the community level in the face of federal reversals. Outputs will include a peer-reviewed journal article, an op-ed, and a policy blog, offering timely insights into the durability and local implications of large-scale clean energy investments during periods of political transition.
Sanya Carley
Mark Alan Hughes Faculty DirectorSanya Carley is the Mark Alan Hughes Faculty Director of the Kleinman Center and Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy and City Planning at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.
