Coal at Sunset: No More Ghost Towns (S1 Ep5)

There are estimated to be more than a thousand ghost towns in Colorado. Each one represents a failed economic transition. So for Craig, Colorado, the stakes are clear. Transitions require resources and support.

In 2019, Colorado created the first state-level Office of Just Transition in the nation. It was designed to help coal towns like Craig strategize for the future. But in the early going, the office didn't have any funding. It didn't have anyone to run it. And unbeknownst at the time, a global pandemic was about to begin.

In this episode, we meet Wade Buchanan, who stepped in to run the Office of Just Transition. He wanted to show that the government could deliver for Craig and other rural communities. He wanted to help. Would it be enough?

To hear bonus clips and find additional resources, visit https://coalatsunset.org/

Host: Kristan Uhlenbrock

Guests:

• Wade Buchanan, Executive Director, Office of Just Transition

• Duane Highley, CEO, Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association

• Jennifer Holloway, Executive Director, Craig Chamber of Commerce

• Bob Rankin, State Senator, District 8

Coal at Sunset: A Colorado Town in Transition was created by the Institute for Science & Policy at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and produced in partnership with House of Pod.