This presentation, “Scales of Energy Poverty: Understanding Energy Justice Through Spatial Analysis,” was created by Josh Randall (Ph.D. student in candidate in parks, recreation, and tourism management, North Carolina State University) as part of the Duke University Energy Data Analytics Ph.D. Student Fellowship Program.

Abstract: “Nearly 1.4 million North Carolinians and 4 billion people around the world experience energy poverty - they are unable to both secure energy and acquire other basic human needs. Many community agencies, policy programs, and research studies identify energy poverty through the use of geospatial technologies and data. However, these efforts can fail to recognize many who need assistance due to the aggregation of spatial data to inappropriate scales. Because energy poverty is felt at a household level, aggregation to a large spatial scale (a county, for example) effectively hides forms of energy poverty, leading to many not receiving the type of help they need. My work will provide a suite of data analyses that identify spatial patterns of energy poverty hidden when data is aggregated answering who is missed and where. My goal is to use these outcomes to inform policymakers on the equitable outcomes of potential interventions, while also community leaders with information to combat energy poverty.”

Support for this work was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant G-2020-13922 through the Duke University Energy Data Analytics Ph.D. Student Fellowship.

Note: Conclusions reached or positions taken by researchers or other grantees represent the views of the grantees themselves and not those of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation or its trustees, officers, or staff.

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