Energy insecurity, extreme heat, and policy solutions

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Abstract

Energy insecurity and poverty is a pervasive and growing challenge in the U.S., as well as across the world. About one in four households in the U.S. report a difficulty paying their energy bills and keeping their homes at adequate temperatures. The incidence of extreme and persistent heat exacerbates energy insecurity by 1) increasing the amount of energy that a household needs to consume in order to stay cool; and 2) raising rates as utilities invest in grid hardening to make the power grid more resilient to heat.

 

This roundtable of energy insecurity experts will explore these trends and offer insights on how to design and improve policy solutions aimed at the intersection between energy insecurity and extreme heat. Among related topics, panelists will discuss ways to expand bill assistance programs to better account for heat; utility, state, and local approaches to fill the need created by recent federal governmental changes to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); ways to improve disconnection protections, especially to account for hotter climates; built environment solutions to increase cooling options; institutional and governance arrangements that prioritize energy insecurity; and household energy behavior and technological adoption.

Policy Area

• Natural Resource, Energy, and Environmental Policy

Moderator

• Gabriel Chan, University of Minnesota

Organizer

• Sanya R Carley, University of Pennsylvania

Speakers

• Destenie Nock, Carnegie Mellon University

• Michelle Graff, Georgia Institute of Technology