Racial disparities in energy poverty in the United States

Abstract

This study uses data on residential energy consumption from large nation-wide surveys in 1990, 1997, 2005, and 2015 to assess the racial inequality in residential energy consumption. The results indicate that the overall inequality in energy consumption/cost varies little over the past 25 years while showing widespread energy poverty in the U.S. In terms of racial differences, African-American households are more vulnerable than white and Asian households, and about one-third of them lived in energy poverty by 2015. However, the share of households in energy poverty witnessed the greatest growth among white households during 1990–2015. In addition, the energy burdens of different racial groups vary greatly with respect to energy types, end-use demands, and regions, given the differences in climate and households’ socio-economic characteristics. The study suggests that besides low-income African-American households, urgent attention should be given to the increasing number of white households in energy poverty.