Municipal government adaptive capacity programs for vulnerable populations during the U.S. energy transition

Abstract

The ongoing energy transition, while delivering immense positive societal benefits, also poses specific risks to vulnerable populations. Although municipal governments are uniquely situated to help identify these populations, little is known presently about the role that local governments play in addressing the risks and exposures related to the energy transition. Using a survey of municipal Chief Administrative Officers and secondary data on energy burden and fossil fuel job losses, we evaluate what municipal efforts exist and examine empirically the factors that influence such adaptive capacity efforts using a series of logistic regressions. We find that municipal programs, such as energy bill assistance, weatherization, job training support, and worker financial assistance are not widely pursued, and that perceived vulnerability, rather than actual vulnerability, is associated with municipal adaptive capacity programs. Such programs are typically part of a broader package of other clean energy initiatives. We further find that the provision of adaptive capacity programs is correlated with the size of a municipality's budget for certain types of assistance and with the political orientation of citizens.