Access & Equity
The energy transition that is already underway will bring our energy landscapes into a cleaner and more reliable future. But that future must equally lift up minority and low-income communities and ensure energy access to everyone, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Recent Work
An Exploration of Solar Access: How Can Tenants Benefit from Solar Financing Policies?
The U.S. solar boom leaves renters behind, with current policies favoring homeowners. This digest explores the barriers that tenants face and potential pathways towards more equitable solar access for all.
Should ‘Energy Hogs’ Shoulder More of the Utility Cost Burden?
Electricity rates often target high-usage households, "energy hogs", with higher prices. This study shows that benign factors—number of occupants, climate in household location, and ability to install rooftop solar—drive most of the differences.
Covid-19
Energy Insecurity During the Time of COVID
Millions of Americans struggle to pay their energy bills and avoid being disconnected from their energy services. This digest evaluates the incidence and implications of such for low-income families during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opportunities to Equitably Expand Bikeshare: Learning from the Covid-19 Period
Bikeshare systems are historically thought to be used predominantly by white, middle-class populations. This digest looks at bikeshare use patterns during the Covid-19 pandemic and finds substantially increased use among more diverse populations, signaling new opportunities for equity-oriented bikeshare policy in the future.
Featured Researcher
Sanya Carley
Mark Alan Hughes Faculty DirectorSanya Carley is the Mark Alan Hughes Faculty Director of the Kleinman Center and Presidential Distinguished Professor of Energy Policy and City Planning at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.