Energy access is necessary for health, education, financial opportunity, and full participation in modern society. Energy is what powers our schools, healthcare systems, food supply chains, and communication networks.
Without adequate energy access, families cannot properly heat or cool their homes, which is especially important in an increasingly volatile climate, food cannot be safely preserved or kept for an extended period of time threatening life and heath,, and students may not have the ability to access internet resources, limiting their access to education and communication.
A Human Rights Framework
In 1966, the United Nations adopted the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which is a binding United Nations treaty that requires member parties to protect several human rights across education, health, and in particular, an adequate standard of living. Almost 90% of UN members have ratified the ICESCR. While the United States has not ratified this treaty, it contains rights that all people are entitled to.
Healthcare, education, and an adequate standard of living are human rights and all are completely dependent on energy access and power. While not expressly established in this covenant, energy access is a necessary precondition to fulfill these established human rights and they are imperative for the preservation of human dignity.
Most governments are not specifically required to provide free electricity, however, fulfillment of international human rights standards require this resource to be protected.
In 2015, the United Nations created a list of Sustainable Development Goals - a blueprint for ending poverty and promoting planetary health by 2030. Sustainable Development Goal 7 is to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”
Energy Poverty in the United States
Energy poverty is defined as the lack of reliable and affordable energy resources needed for sufficient health, welfare, and economic development activities like cooking, heating a household, or keeping the lights on.
In 2024, over one billion people worldwide were considered to be either energy poor, or completely lacking any kind of electricity access.
In the United States, one in three households reported struggling to pay their household energy bills in 2024. Between 2019 and 2024, U.S. electricity rates rose at an average rate of 4.8% per year. Energy costs will likely only continue to rise in the coming years due to data center demand and heavy industrial investment, further contributing to energy poverty. This burden is heavier for individuals living in insufficient or poorly insulated homes, where proper heating or cooling is more difficult to manage. This financial strain can manifest in different ways, such as households forgoing food or medical expenses to keep their lights or heating on.
Many American utility companies have remote shut off programs, where power access will be severed automatically for repeated failure to pay. This leaves consumers' right to an ‘adequate standard of living’ completely unprotected.
Climate change is also exacerbating the risks of energy poverty. With increased numbers of extreme weather events, not being able to heat or cool a home puts households in a potentially life-threatening situation.
A Disproportionate Burden
A household’s energy burden is the percentage of yearly median income they spend on electricity and gas bills. A household has a high energy burden if greater than 6 percent of income goes to energy bills, and a severe burden if greater than 10 percent goes toward energy bills. Low-income households often have a much higher energy burden, and the median burden for renters is 13 percent higher than for homeowners. High or unaffordable energy costs can be contributed by poor housing conditions, redlining, or lack of access to affordable energy resources. Black, Hispanic, and Native American households face higher average energy burdens yearly.
All human rights require equality and non-discrimination, meaning the right to energy is one that must be protected for communities.
Visit the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC)’s Energy Burden Mapping Tool to see how communities are impacted.
Energy justice means that all communities are able to receive safe, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy.
Case Studies
1995 Chicago Heatwave
In July 1995, an unprecedented heat wave hit the city of Chicago, Illinois. Temperatures averaged around 106 degrees Fahrenheit, with heat indices going up to 120 degrees. Nights remained hot as well, preventing homes from cooling off. Chicago’s urban density also retained heat, making indoor areas also exceptionally hot. The heat wave resulted in the deaths of 700 individuals.
While air-conditioning protected some homes, many could not afford to purchase or run window air-conditioning units. Open window fans were relatively ineffective. Demand for electricity was high, overwhelming the local electric grid, and leaving 9,000 households without power.
In particular, North Lawndale, a majority Black and historically under-resourced neighborhood in Chicago, experienced the effects of this heatwave at a much greater scale. During the heatwave, North Lawndale reported heat-related deaths rate of 40 per 100,000 residents, significantly higher than Chicago’s citywide rate of 7 per 100,000. The neighborhood's energy burden is consistently at least four times higher than the city average. Half the households live below the poverty line and face greater rates of chronic health conditions compared to the rest of Illinois. In the 1995 heatwave, residents also experienced longer wait times for power restoration, compared to certain downtown neighborhoods. Residents of North Lawndale experiencing unequal and interrupted electricity access during this time is inconsistent with their human right to an adequate standard of living, and does not fulfill the non-discriminatory requirement of all human rights.
California’s Utility Protections
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) implemented a moratorium on utility disconnection (electricity, gas, water) to prevent utility shutoff for those who could not afford to pay. This ensured that houses remained temperature controlled and lights stayed on for those experiencing financial hardship during the pandemic. CPUC also later created a $2 billion relief fund, to assist with utility debt. While California was not the only state who implemented utility protections and/or a moratorium during the pandemic, their safety net lasted the longest, into 2021.