Energy inequality in climate hazards: Empirical evidence of social and spatial disparities in managed and hazard-induced power outages

Abstract

Due to the effects of climate change and urbanization, the severity and frequency of hazard events is expected to increase. The energy sector in the United States is ever more vulnerable to extreme climatic hazards. Hurricane winds can damage electrical lines, causing hazard-induced power outages. Extreme heat and freezing temperatures can imbalance the supply and demand for energy resulting in managed power outages. Utility companies reportedly prioritize the restoration of power systems based on the number of outages and the size of affected populations. This approach fails to account for unequal impacts of hazard-induced and managed power outages. Research in equitable infrastructure emphasizes that certain populations, such as lower income and racial-ethnic minority households, are disproportionately impacted by disruptions in the power system. Moreover, the connected network qualities of the power system suggests an element of spatial vulnerabilities. However, little empirical evidence exists regarding the presence and extent of energy inequality. A main roadblock is the data collection process, in that outage data is often perishable and not found at granular spatial scales to allow the undertaking of a comprehensive analysis on impacts of power losses. Recognizing this important gap, this study collected and analyzed observational data related to the managed power outages during Winter Storm Uri (2021) and the hazard-induced outages during Hurricane Ida (2021). The research quantified the period of recovery at a granular spatial scale using an equitable-focused analysis to detect social and spatial inequalities through an exploratory lens. In extreme cases of power outage, census tracts of lower income and higher percentage of Hispanic population had longer median durations of recovery during Winter Storm Uri. In the hazard-induced outages of Hurricane Ida, non-coastal zip codes with lower income had a 1.00-day longer median duration of recovery and higher percentage of Black population had a 2.00-day longer median duration of recovery while coastal zip codes with higher percentage of Black population had a 1.00-day longer median of recovery. Non-coastal regions had 63% greater spatial Gini values and 16% greater value in infrastructure inequality when compared to coastal regions. The managed power outages resulted in a 3% to 19% greater value of infrastructure inequality to the hazard-induced power outages. The findings provide evidence of pervasive social and spatial inequality in power outages during climate hazards and highlight the importance of integrating equity into the manner in which utility managers and emergency planners restore power outages.