(From the System Integration Forum on DEI in the 2021 Northwest Power Plan)
 

Tools: equity assessment, equity lens

  • Higher Education Coordinating Commission of Oregon. 2014. Oregon Equity Lens.
    An example equity lens that includes eight questions.
  • Initiative for Energy Justice. December 2019. The Energy Justice Workbook.
    An information source and tool for incorporating equity into energy policy development. Includes an overview of the concept of “energy justice” and how it is used by advocates and academics, and a “scorecard” to help policy makers assess the degree to which a policy incorporates energy justice principles.
  • Multnomah County Office of Diversity and Equity. Equity & Empowerment Lens.
    A set of materials including introductory materials, a logic model, and 5 P’s worksheet.
  • Northwest Regional Education Service District. Equity Lens.
    An example equity len that includes five questions.
  • Seattle Race and Justice Initiative. Racial Equity Toolkit
    A process and a set of questions to guide the development, implementation and evaluation of policies, initiatives, programs, and budget issues to address the impacts on racial equity.

Data: equity analysis, data sources, metrics

  • EPA. EJ Screen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool.
    An environmental justice mapping and screening tool utilizing a nationally consistent dataset and approach for combining environmental and demographic indicators. users choose a geographic area; the tool then provides demographic and environmental information for that area.
  • Empower Dataworks. Quantitative Energy Equity. April 2020.
    An energy burden framework for utilities to quantify the energy assistance need in their service territories and build targeted programs that get the right assistance to the right customers. 
  • Energy Trust of Oregon. 2018 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Data and Baseline Analysis.
    An analysis of the extent to which Energy Trust’s programs have provided service to residents of different geographic communities and demographic groups. Analysis included use of Census data at the tract level to identify areas with a high proportion of households that were low-income, people of color, and/or rural.
  • Northwest Power and Conservation Council. August 2018. Northwest Under-Served Markets Report.
    A research report conducted to meet the requirements of MCS-1 in the Seventh Power Plan, directing the region to conduct data analysis to identify proportionally underserved population segments and improve energy efficiency programs to serve these populations.   
  • NREL. Solar For All.
    A mapping tool designed to show rooftop solar potential that aggregates data from several sources and maps detailed household demographics, health indicators, utility, climate, and many other data types.
  • Reames, T.G., M. Reiner, and M. B. Stacey. May 2018. “An incandescent truth: Disparities in energy-efficient lighting availability and prices in an urban U.S. county.” Applied Energy Vol. 218, pp. 95-103.
  • Forrester, S. P., & Reames, T. G. 2020. “Understanding the residential energy efficiency financing coverage gap and market potential.” Applied Energy Vol. 260, pp. 114-307.
  • U.S. Department of Energy. Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) Tool.
    Census tract-level mapping of energy burden, income (including granular strata below median and federal poverty level), housing type, housing tenure, building age, and heating fuel. Expected to add a race/ethnicity overlay in the future.

Process: Public engagement, participatory research

  • Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. Empower Kentucky: Building a Bright Future, Together.
    An energy plan for Kentucky developed with deep engagement of impacted people by a community organization. Includes detailed recommendations for all aspects of the energy sector including generation, renewables, energy efficiency, and job creation.
  • Puget Sound Sage. June 2020. Powering the Transition.
    Research into the needs and priorities of BIPOC communities in the Puget Sound area, related to energy use in buildings and transportation.
  • U.S. Department of Energy. CELICA Toolkit: Clean Energy Solutions for Low-income Communities.
    Resource-rich source for community engagement, research/evaluation tools, program design, and case studies.

Equity in power planning: Examples

Just transition