Affordable Pathways to Building Electrification in the Southeast

Buildings in the Southeast are more likely to be all-electric than in other parts of the country. Nearly 57% of all homes in the region are totally dependent on electricity – more than double the national average. While the health, safety, and long-term climate benefits of electrification are clear, there has been less consideration of the impact that electrification might have on energy insecure communities. Communities of color and LMI households have been subject to generations of exclusionary economic and housing practices that have enacted steep barriers to electrification. Without equitable approaches, electrification has the potential to strain the already tight finances of energy insecure households and undercut the occupant benefits of electrification.  This session will review recent research from SEEA on affordable electrification, including analysis of pathways to electrify utility gas and propane homes and to upgrade inefficient space and water heating for LMI households. This panel will review and recommend affordable pathways to electrify the remaining buildings in the Southeast in an equitable way.