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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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DOE OSTI2022

Assessing the energy equity benefits of energy storage solutions

Safety, reliability, efficiency, and affordability are no longer the sole tenets of electric grid planning. The evolving social and policy climate have placed new explicit requirements on the electric grid, including resilience, decarbonization, and energy equity and justice. Integrating energy equity strategies into modern grid design is intended to achieve a fair and just distribution of benefits within the energy system. This study aims to characterize the energy equity and community benefits of energy storage systems (ESS) under the following three use-case models: utility ESS that are operated within the distribution system; community-owned ESS; and behind-the-meter ESS that are customer-owned to serve the household. The goal of this energy equity analysis is to characterize the environmental, economic, and social benefits of ESS through applied metrics such as energy burden, energy poverty, energy vulnerability, job creation, and more. A 13.8 kV, 265 node representative feeder corresponding to the hot-humid climate of Louisiana, chosen for its high energy burden, frequent hurricanes and outage events, was used to perform a storage adequacy analysis for six different outage scenarios to determine energy storage access for each use-case. The results of this analysis are then used to characterize both the grid and equity benefits of storage solutions to inform a prioritization framework matching community needs with system preferences for utility planning processes, market regulations, and the wider network of energy system stakeholders.

Energy Equity, energy justice, equity, reliability↗
DOE OSTI2021

Review of Energy Equity Metrics

A literature review of energy equity and energy justice metrics was performed to support efforts to develop an energy equity metrics framework. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) reviewed the available literature, surveyed work in progress on the topic, and solicited expert feedback to lay the groundwork for metrics development and provide reference material for equity research and development applications. The literature review identified three distinct equity metric types: target population identification, investment decision making, and program impact assessment.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Energy Equity: From Sociological Concept to Engineering Perspective of Electric Power Systems

The implementation of energy equity has emerged as a pivotal goal of the global energy transition, driven by widespread recognition of energy inequities worldwide. Because energy equity is broadly regarded as a sociological concept rather than an engineering one, the current absence of technical engineering methods necessitates the development of a justified and sound approach to making energy equity an actionable practice in the broader realms of energy, environment, and sustainability. This Perspective discusses different terms related to energy equity and proposes a generalized definition of energy equity from the engineering perspective of electric power systems. To address these challenges related to energy equity, policies in Europe and the U.S. are introduced, although their effectiveness is limited. Further, current energy equity research is classified into four categories: quantifying energy equity, improving equity in the accessibility of electricity, improving equity in the affordability of electricity, and improving equity in the resilience of power systems. Then, we classify the ongoing research challenges in energy equity into two categories, technical challenges and application challenges, and provide corresponding insights. Finally, we discuss equity of resilience or reliability, income disparity, and environmental equity, followed by a summary of this Perspective.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Assessing the Current State of U.S. Energy Equity Regulation and Legislation [Slides]

This report examined state energy equity actions from January 2020 to July 2022. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory partnered with E9 Insight to screen executive, legislative, and regulatory actions focusing on energy equity. A total of 95 actions were identified across 22 states and Washington, DC. Energy equity was most associated with resource planning, decarbonization, and energy efficiency regulatory focus areas. States tended to focus on distributive and procedural justice tenets over recognition and restorative justice tenets. The review also suggested that energy equity metrics are in nascent stages; most outcomes identified in equity actions did not have corresponding metrics. Affordability and energy burden were identified as metrics in multiple cases and appeared in several different forms.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Assessing the Current State of U.S. Energy Equity Regulation and Legislation [Slides]

This report examined state energy equity actions from January 2020 to July 2022. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory partnered with E9 Insight to screen executive, legislative, and regulatory actions focusing on energy equity. A total of 95 actions were identified across 22 states and Washington, DC. Energy equity was most associated with resource planning, decarbonization, and energy efficiency regulatory focus areas. States tended to focus on distributive and procedural justice tenets over recognition and restorative justice tenets. The review also suggested that energy equity metrics are in nascent stages; most outcomes identified in equity actions did not have corresponding metrics. Affordability and energy burden were identified as metrics in multiple cases and appeared in several different forms.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Energy Equity Opportunities in Distributed Wind Hybrid Systems for Rural Loads

Distributed wind (DW) hybrid systems, or combinations of distributed energy resources with wind technologies, have the potential to provide energy equity benefits for rural loads. However, project developers and end-users do not understand these benefits well. This report outlines energy equity opportunities that result directly from DW-hybrid projects and proposes a framework that demonstrates how to consider equity in the DW-hybrid system, which can enhance existing resilience and valuation tools by incorporating a way to include equity considerations. Energy equity opportunities achievable with DW-hybrid systems for rural loads are defined by the core principles of energy justice for use in a proposed equity framework. As well, a catalog of equity resources, metrics, technology-agnostic frameworks, and best practices are linked in an attached Excel file. Electric cooperatives, technical assistance providers (including national laboratory and DOE staff), DW project developers, and technology providers can use this work to understand, evaluate, and define equitable outcomes for potential DW-hybrid projects.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Summary of a Workshop on Integrating Energy Equity into Power System Planning and Operation

On November 29 and 30, 2023, the Energy Systems Integration Group convened a one-and-a-half-day workshop in Arlington, Virginia, to improve knowledge and practices for integrating energy equity considerations into power system planning and operation. Workshop participants were invited to discuss approaches for integrating energy equity aspects into models and tools and to explore possible pathways for enhanced technical practices. Participants included utility planning and modeling practitioners, social science and energy justice academics, representatives from energy and environmental justice nongovernmental organizations, non-profits, consumer advocates, and representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, national labs, and other government agencies. This report summarizes the discussion points and outcomes of the workshop, which prioritized the technical aspects of incorporating the challenges and solutions identified by electricity-futures stakeholders and communities. These technical activities include the fundamental grid structure and hardware, detailed modeling approaches that benchmark energy system performance and justify future investments, and engineering designs and limitations for potential solutions to meet energy equity goals in communities.

energy equity↗
DOE OSTI2024

Assessing the Current State of U.S. Energy Equity Regulation and Legislation (2024 Update) [Slides]

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) partnered with E9 Insight (E9) to update the 2022 database of executive, legislative, and regulatory actions focusing on energy equity and directed at electricity and natural gas utilities. The resulting database contains 307 energy equity actions, which consist of documents (e.g., bills, dockets, and executive orders) identified through keyword searches associated with energy equity. Based on our review, almost half of states (32 + DC) were taking some sort of action on energy equity (i.e., executive order, PUC activity, agency plan, or executive bill). In the report, we explored temporal trends to track state actions over time across regions, outcomes, equity tenets, and objectives. We also explored what drivers led to what outcomes. Drivers were organized into legislative, regulatory, executive, and stakeholder-driven.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Advancing Energy Equity Considerations in Distribution Systems Planning

Current distribution system planning (DSP) processes do not explicitly account for energy equity considerations, such as who is most affected by power system burdens, where those burdens are concentrated, and what investments can be made to improve baseline conditions. This paper proposes an iterative framework for advancing energy equity as an objective of the DSP process, showing how measurement strategies, or metrics (informed by conceptual foundations of energy justice), can be applied to benchmark equity performance at various stages. This methodology is applied for equity-aware distributed energy resource (DER) hosting capacity analysis and outage analysis to provide critical insights on infrastructure upgrade decisions compared to a business-as-usual (BAU) case. The analysis is performed on a taxonomy feeder representing the West Coast urban/semi-urban system with augmentation of electric vehicles (EVs) and rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) generators. The study considers disadvantaged community (DAC) and non-disadvantaged community (NDAC) load regions to enable equity-aware simulations. The results demonstrate how equity-aware planning could reveal the limitations of the traditional DSP process as DAC regions are found to have lower DER hosting capacity and higher outage vulnerability. Overall, this work provides insights on the need to incorporate energy equity as an integral part of the DSP process.

Energy Equity, Distribution System Planning, DER a↗
DOE OSTI2023

LA100 Equity Strategies. Chapter 3: Community-Guided Energy Equity Strategies

The LA100 Equity Strategies project synthesizes community guidance with robust research, modeling, and analysis to identify strategy options that can increase equitable outcomes in Los Angeles' clean energy transition. Grounded in the analysis of past and ongoing energy inequities and engagement with underserved communities, the project presents community-guided strategies that aim to operationalize recognition and procedural justice. Chapters 1 and 2 target the problem space - the causal factors, impact areas, and values affecting LA's energy justice landscape. This chapter threads those themes through to begin focusing on the solution space. We examine community-identified problems and solutions through the lens of recognition and procedural justice, presenting analysis and strategies that form the basis for more equitable outcomes in LA's energy transition. In our listening sessions, underserved Angelenos highlighted the need to transition away from the status quo one participant described as "transactional extraction of information to check the box. To say yes, we engaged." She asked the LA Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to approach her community with respect and transparency, stating, "We consider you all to be experts in your community, and we'd like to authentically engage with you in the decision-making process. So, I do think there needs to be some intentional actions for that rapport building and that trust building." The community-informed analysis and strategies described in this chapter, which are foundational to the LA100 Equity Strategies project, rise to the challenge of engaging authentically to build rapport, establish relationships of respect, and meaningfully involve Angelenos in the decision-making process. LADWP is already making concerted efforts to redress a disproportionate distribution of investments in physical infrastructure and energy efficient technologies in Los Angeles. This chapter concentrates on the challenge to further rectify past and ongoing inequities in the social, cultural, and institutional scaffolding of Los Angeles. We examine community-guided strategies to tackle this challenge, informed by community input on how all Angelenos can equitably access green jobs and affordable, safe, and resilient energy services, technologies, and programs. These actionable strategies can help move energy equity programs from plans to applied practices, supporting LADWP in launching a just and equitable clean energy transition.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Energy Equity and Environmental Justice (Workshop Report)

On December 11, 2020, 28 PNNL staff members discussed research to advance energy equity and environmental justice at a two-hour internal workshop. The primary purposes of the workshop were to baseline existing efforts at the laboratory and brainstorm future research activities. The workshop report documents the conversation, outcomes, and next steps.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Energy Equity and Environmental Justice Summit Report 2022

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) hosted a limited-engagement Energy Equity and Environmental Justice (EEEJ) Summit on September 28, 2022, with the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (DOE-ED) and DOE national laboratories: Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and Savannah River National Laboratory. The goal of the Summit was for labs to highlight their capabilities in the EEEJ space and connect them to DOE-ED’s mission and goals as well as share lessons learned and best practices in our various programmatic spaces. The event commenced with an opening address from Director Shalanda Baker (DOE-ED), which included a call to action for the national labs. Three presentation panels followed, giving insights to the programs stewarded by national laboratories that are currently taking steps to enhance the way science is implemented through equity and justice lenses. A roundtable discussion concluded the Summit and highlighted lessons learned, gaps, challenges, opportunities, and future needs that will improve the impact and partnership of EEEJ work at DOE, national laboratories, at other agencies and institutions, and in other programmatic areas. Interest among participants to stay connected and coordinated and to partner on EEEJ work across labs was emphasized, including a suggestion to establish an intra-laboratory community of practice.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Los Angeles 100% Clean Energy Equity Strategies

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power set out to identify strategies to improve equity in LA's transition to 100% clean energy. Through social science research, NREL summarized underserved community member challenges and solutions from listening sessions and community-based organizations. NREL modeled future scenarios for solar, transportation electrification, rates, building technologies, and the distribution grid to identify strategies that improved community-prioritized equity metrics. Findings provide specific strategies relevant for LA and elsewhere to improve equity and affordability in achieving 100% clean energy.

100% clean energy↗
DOE OSTI2022

Advancing Clean Energy Equity

This year’s Financial Innovations Roundtable (June 16-17, 2022) focused on advancing clean energy equity and was co-hosted by the University of New Hampshire's Carsey School of Public Policy and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Clean energy technologies are better than ever, with costs continuing to decline. Yet the low-income and under-resourced communities – particularly communities of color, Native communities, and other traditionally marginalized populations – that are disproportionately impacted by climate and severe weather-related events lag in clean energy investments. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) have a long track record of providing access to capital to low- and moderate-income communities nationwide. Green Banks, established at state and local levels, use innovative financing to attract private capital and incentivize investments in clean and renewable energy. Together, the nation's network of more than 1,300 CDFIs and 21 Green Banks have the financing expertise and deep market understanding and relationships to finance a transition to clean energy. This event explored how Green Banks and CDFIs can funnel creditworthy projects to market and efficiently raise capital for them. Building on the Carsey School White Paper, Clean Energy Project Development for Low-Income Communities: Strengthening the Ecosystem for Delivering Solar Energy and Deep Efficiency Retrofits (Hangen, 2022), the FIR sought to identify options and create opportunities for Green Banks, CDFIs, and impact investors to collaborate in offering a range of products, approaches, and tools to better serve communities and individuals who have thus far been left out of the transition to clean energy. The event had 101 participants from a variety of sectors including CDFIs, Green Banks, mission-driven clean energy organizations, government agencies, banks, and impact investment professionals.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Decarbonizing the Building Sector: A Human-Centered Study Focused on Small/Light Commercial Building Energy Equity

Decarbonization of the building sector is no small feat; buildings account for 40% of primary energy consumption, and fossil-fuel combustion in buildings leads to roughly 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency, electrification and smart technologies are fundamental strategies to reduce consumption and shift away from fossil-fuel use in buildings. This energy transition carries significant societal risks unless the shift is carried out with equity and justice as a top priority. Low-income, vulnerable and communities of color have higher energy burdens compared to affluent populations. Furthermore, systemic racism and historic exclusionary policies have resulted in increased risks (environmental, climatic, economic, and social) to low-income and communities of color, and underserved communities often do not have financial resources for, or access to, advanced building technologies. The U.S. Department of Energy is funding research to characterize and develop solutions to the challenges of equity and justice that complicate the ability of communities to contribute to goals for decarbonization. Our project has a specific focus on small commercial buildings and the businesses that occupy them. Significantly less is known about the burdens and risks these businesses experience or the challenges they face in pursuing decarbonization, or how those are affected by income and race, in comparison to research on energy equity and justice for diverse households. The project team includes the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Arizona State University and Clark Atlanta University. Researchers are conducting semi-structured interviews with small business owners in underserved communities in Phoenix and Atlanta, followed by a survey distributed to the larger community to learn more about the equity and justice issues that communities with different racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds face. Results will help inform an actionable and replicable framework for engaging small commercial building owners/operators to catalyze the reduction of energy burdens and increase equity.

Antonopoulos, Chrissi A.↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Multi-Dimensional Benefit Assessment of Automated Mobility Platforms (AMP) for Large Facilities: Mobility, Energy, Equity, and Facility Management & Design

The goal of the automated mobility platforms (AMPs) initiative is to raise the bar of service regarding equity and sustainability for public mobility systems that are crucial to large facilities, and doing so using electrified, energy efficient technology. Using airports as an example, the rapid growth in air travel demand has led to facility expansions and congested terminals, which directly impacts equity (e.g., increased challenges for Passengers with Reduced Mobility [PRMs]) and sustainability - both of which are important metrics often overlooked during the engineering design process. Therefore, to evaluate systems and inform critical near- and long-term decisions more effectively, a holistic evaluation framework is proposed focused on four key areas: (1) mobility, with emphasis on travel time and accessibility within an airport, (2) environment, focused on energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with intra-airport mobility, (3) equity, specifically to the PRM community, but with an eye to the whole of society, and (4) built environment, or the fundamental changes in building design enabled by different mobility systems for larger and more flexible, functional, and energy-efficient structures. Below, AMPs are defined, and each metric is discussed further, all with a focus on airport mobility.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗