Energy Access and Equity: Takeaways from Our Recent Webinar
The transition to a clean and just energy system is a complex undertaking, requiring significant changes across the economy. To ensure that these changes don’t place disproportionate burdens on communities already bearing the brunt of harmful pollution and climate change, we must better understand the associated distributional impacts. The Institute for Policy Integrity hosted a recent webinar on this topic, bringing together researchers and policymakers to discuss the real-world challenges of implementing equitable energy policies. The panelists included Dr. Anissa Rodriguez Dickerman of Pecan Street Inc., Dr. Benjamin Sovacool of Boston University, Dr. Jonathan Colmer of the University of Virginia, Dr. Diana Hernández of Columbia University, and John Binder of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Dr. Anissa Rodriguez Dickerman shared insights from Pecan Street’s Energy Equity Research Network project, a household energy research network focusing on equitable energy transitions in traditionally underserved communities. By partnering with universities, community-based organizations, and local stakeholders, the project aims to generate novel datasets that can inform inclusive urban energy modeling, quantify the impacts of energy efficiency measures, and explore residents’ responses to increased electrification. Through the energy data it collects and the insights it gathers from the communities in which it operates, Pecan Street aims to help inform equitable decisions around the design and implementation of electrification initiatives. It also aims to provide information about energy use that can be useful for communities in both the short- and long-term.
Dr. Benjamin Sovacool then discussed his research on advancing energy justice across the renewable energy supply chain. Rather than just focusing on where technologies are deployed, his team is investigating often-hidden upstream and downstream impacts, such as mining, manufacturing, and waste flows. Through case studies spanning copper mines in Utah to solar panel recycling in prisons, the researchers aim to document lived experiences and identify leverage points for more equitable wind and solar development. Dr. Sovacool emphasized the need to broaden our notions of justice beyond Western conceptions and better understand impacts on vulnerable groups like indigenous communities and the incarcerated.
Next, Dr. Jonathan Colmer shared findings from his work with the U.S. Census Bureau, creating a novel individual-level dataset to examine distributional impacts of the clean energy transition. He found that while clean energy jobs are generally high quality, they disproportionately employ white and college-educated workers. Transitions between legacy fossil-fuel jobs and clean energy jobs are incredibly rare, and workers face substantial earnings penalties when moving out of the energy sector altogether. These results highlight the potential for significant transitional costs that could exacerbate inequality if not proactively addressed.
Dr. Diana Hernández then presented her research on energy insecurity as a public health concern, drawing on a first-of-its-kind survey of New York City residents. By measuring energy insecurity across multiple dimensions like thermal discomfort, utility debt, and unsafe coping strategies, her team found that over a quarter of households experienced three or more hardship indicators. These burdens fell disproportionately on communities of color, renters, and households with children. Strikingly, even after controlling for factors like income, energy-insecure households faced significantly higher odds of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues. Dr. Hernández underscored the importance of using metrics to establish baselines and track progress on energy insecurity over time.
Finally, John Binder discussed how New York State’s nation-leading climate law is grappling with issues of energy equity in practice. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act requires all agencies to ensure their actions do not disproportionately burden disadvantaged communities, while also setting ambitious targets for emissions reductions and investments in these areas. Through their proposed cap-and-invest program, the state aims to generate billions in proceeds that can deliver progressive affordability benefits and target investments in pollution reduction and job creation in disadvantaged communities. Mr. Binder emphasized the need for ongoing dialogue between policymakers, researchers, and local stakeholders to inform these critical decisions.
In the Q&A discussion, the panelists highlighted measurement challenges and gaps, such as the need to better capture lifecycle and community-level impacts, constraints on technology adoption beyond just costs, and the often-neglected experiences of renters, indigenous groups, and other vulnerable populations. They also stressed the importance of communicating research findings in a way that policymakers and communities can readily act upon.
This webinar underscored that energy equity and justice cannot be an afterthought as the clean energy transition accelerates. Achieving a truly just transition will require deep collaboration across disciplines and stakeholders, careful attention to local contexts and hard-to-measure impacts, and a steadfast commitment to addressing entrenched disparities. The speakers’ research and policy efforts offer promising models for this critical work, while also revealing how much more there is to learn and do.
This webinar was part of a series highlighting environmental and energy research projects funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Check our events page for future webinars in the series!
