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

Digest

Looking Forward: Future Proofing SDG 7 Indicators Post-2030 for Equity, Outcomes, and Interlinkages

Although energy is central to sustainable development, existing SDG 7 indicators lack demographic disaggregation, rely heavily on input-level metrics, and fail to capture interlinkages with other SDGs. Drawing on existing examples of effective indicators across institutions, this brief outlines three recommendations to review the post-2030 SDG 7 framework.

Digest

Navigating Tensions in Just Energy Transitions

In the transition to a post-carbon economy, there is a potential to unintentionally reinforce or extend previous injustices, or to create new ones. This digest explores tensions in balancing local responsiveness with coordinated national strategy.

Covid-19

Digest

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.

Digest

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.