Energy Equity

Defining Energy Equity (Energy Justice)

The Partnership for Southern Equity defines Energy Equity as

“the fair distribution of benefits and burdens from energy production and consumption”

Dimensions of Energy Justice

• Energy Burden: refers to the expense of energy expenditures relative to overall household income
• Energy Insecurity:refers to the hardships households face when meeting basic household needs
• Energy Poverty:refers to a lack of access to energy itself
• Energy Democracy: the notion that communities should have a say and agency in shaping their energy future

Energy Justice Is

How Do We Measure

Energy Equity & Inequity?

• A community’s relative energy equity or inequity may be measured by the energy burdens of its residents.
• Commonly this is the percentage of a household’s income spent on electric, gas, or other power utilities

History & The need for energy justice

The Need for Energy Justice

Energy Equity Policies & Programs

Energy Equity Policy In Our CO Backyard

• HB21-1266

Big Picture

• Justice 40 Initiative
• Department of Energy Initiatives
• Energy Equity Act of 2021

Executive Order 14008 & Energy

Key Takeaways

• Amendments made to Executive Order 12898 to address environmental injustice
• EO 12898 (1994) Federal Actions To Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations
• Sec 219 under Securing Environmental Justice & Spurring Economic Opportunity states

"That means investing and building a clean energy economy that creates well paying union jobs, turning disadvantaged communities — historically marginalized and overburdened — into healthy, thriving communities..."

Justice 40 Initiative

• Sec 223 of EO 14008 Establishes the Justice 40 Initative
• Recommendations on how certain Federal investments might be made toward a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits flow to disadvantaged communities
• Critical part of the Administration’s whole-of-government approach to advancing environmental justice

DOE Implementation of the Justice 40 Initiative

• The Energy Justice Dashboard (BETA)
• A pilot data visualization tool that displays DOE-specific investments in communities across the country experiencing disproportionately high and adverse economic, human health and environmental impacts

• Overlays energy burden — a key indicator of energy justice that shows how much households spend on energy bills as a portion of their income — using data from DOE’s Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool

Other Initiatives from the DOE's Office of Economic Impact & Diversity

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• The Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (ED) developed the Equity in Energy initiative
• Aimed at expanding the inclusion and participation of minorities in all the programs of the Department of

Energy and in the private energy sector

Equity in Energy Pillars

H.R.1375 - Energy Equity Act of 2021

• Introduced in the House February by Rep Bobby Rush
• Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy
• Establishes an Office of Energy Equity within the Department of Energy.

Goals

1. Promote an agency wide environmental justice strategy and inter agency collaboration

2. Reduce or stabilize energy costs within undeserved or disadvantaged communities

3. Increase the availability of energy conservation measures within under served or disadvantaged communities.

Colorado HB21-1266

Environmental Justice Act

Section 4

• Creates the environmental justice action task force in the department of public health and environment
• Goal of which is to propose recommendations to the general assembly regarding practical means to address environmental justice inequities

Section 14

• Requires certain electric utilities that serve at least 50,000 Colorado retail customers to either file a clean energy plan with the division or comply with rules that would require GHG emission reductions of at least 48% by 2025 and 80% by 2030

Section 20

• Modifies the mission statement for the Colorado energy office, including by adding the goal of supporting Colorado's transition to a more equitable, low-carbon, and clean energy economy

Questions, Comments, Concerns?

Did you learn anything?

Have you heard of any other policy on energy equity?

How do you see energy equity fitting into a future of just transition?