Is Small Town America Ready for Climate Migration?

As rising sea levels, floods, and wildfires continue to impact large swaths of the U.S., many people will be displaced from the coasts to the middle states. Hillary Brown, former director of the Urban Sustainability Program at City College of New York, sees this as an opportunity for faltering, inland communities to capture new economic opportunities — if they prepare for population growth now. Cultivating clean distributed energy resources is a key step.

In this episode, Hillary dives into the policy frameworks, energy planning, community-led models, and financial opportunities that can help small towns thrive while providing a lifeline for those displaced by climate change.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What climate migration looks like in the U.S.—and why it’s already underway

• Why many people are still moving to climate-vulnerable areas like Florida and the Southwest

• How small towns can prepare to welcome newcomers and strengthen their local economies

• The role of distributed energy systems—solar, wind, microgrids, and storage—in climate-ready planning

• Real-world examples of small towns transforming through grassroots efforts, tax incentives, and energy innovation

• How philanthropic investment and private sector engagement can support local resilience

• The importance of Main Street revitalization in creating economically viable, socially connected communities
  

About the Guest:

Hillary Brown is a leading voice in urban sustainability and infrastructure planning. She served as director of the Urban Sustainability Program at City College of New York and is the author of several books on next-generation infrastructure. Her most recent book, Revitalize Resettle: How Main Street USA Can Offer New Beginnings for America’s Climate Displaced, offers a practical, visionary blueprint for how small towns can prepare for climate migration and create stronger, more resilient communities in the process.

Resources and Links:

• Revitalize Resettle: How Main Street USA Can Offer New Beginnings for America’s Climate Displaced — available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major booksellers

• Making Rural America into a Climate Migration Mecca with the Help of Distributed Energy, Energy Changemakers, 8/8/2024

• Explore more conversations on the decentralized grid at energychangemakers.com
  

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