The Political Geography of Energy Insecurity: Evidence from LGBTQ+ Households

• In Event: How Politics and Policy Impact Energy-Related Processes and Outcomes

Abstract

Energy insecurity—the inability of a household to meet its energy demands—is a prominent and growing problem in the United States. While existing research has examined disparities in energy insecurity among disadvantaged populations, little attention has been paid to the unique vulnerabilities of LGBTQ households nor has it considered the role of politics in its prevalence. In this paper, we ask two core questions: 1) What is the relationship between LGBTQ identity and energy-insecure conditions? and 2) Do state-level politics and policy environments affect this relationship?

 

Using a large, nationally representative dataset from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, which includes more than 2 million observations over 38 months, we test disparities in the likelihood that LGBTQ households experience three forms of energy insecurity: being unable to pay an energy bill, keeping their home at unsafe or uncomfortable temperatures, and forgoing other household expenses to afford energy. We also examine two additional explanatory factors: overlapping characteristics like race and disability status, and the role of state politics—particularly the impact of partisanship and recent rollbacks of protections for LGBTQ populations in many states.

 

Our findings show LGBTQ households face significantly higher rates of energy insecurity across all three primary indicators. These disparities are compounded when LGBTQ status overlaps with other marginalized identities—for example, Black respondents who identify as LGBTQ are more energy insecure than either Black or LGBTQ respondents alone. Finally, we find that politics plays a significant role: LGBTQ households fare worse in states with Republican-led governments and in those with more discriminatory policy environments. We conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of our findings for addressing energy hardship in LGBTQ communities.

Authors

• Trevor Memmott, University of Massachusetts at Boston
  Presenting Author

• Michelle Graff, Georgia Institute of Technology
  Non-Presenting Co-Author