(BPT) – The next generation of energy technologies is coming online, delivering energy that is more affordable, reliable and cleaner than ever before. But what happens to the older generation of power plants as they reach the end of their operational lives? What if those closures directly affected your livelihood – or the economy of your town? This is the challenge facing the power industry today. Nearly a quarter of coal plants in the U.S. are scheduled to be shuttered by 2029, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Many of these plants are the major employers in their small towns. What happens to those towns when the plants close? It means a loss of employment and it reverberates through all aspects of the community. Retail stores. Restaurants and diners. Everything in the local economy takes a hit when a major employer like a coal power plant closes.

But, what if those plants could be repurposed into something else? It would keep people working, the town diners hopping, the local merchants busy and everyone happy.