{"id":7236,"date":"2024-10-10T21:18:55","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T21:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=7236"},"modified":"2025-10-07T15:42:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T15:42:51","slug":"study-reveals-southern-shift-in-us-energy-poverty-amid-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/study-reveals-southern-shift-in-us-energy-poverty-amid-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Study Reveals Southern Shift in US Energy Poverty Amid Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A new MIT study reveals a shift in U.S. energy poverty from heating in colder regions to air conditioning in the South, driven by climate change. Current federal aid programs are outdated and misaligned with these changes, the researchers suggest adjustments to better support energy-burdened households.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Climate change is altering the geography of energy poverty in the United States, increasingly burdening households in the South and Southwest that rely heavily on air conditioning, according to a new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The research, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adp8183\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in Science Advances, calls for an overhaul of federal energy assistance programs to address this evolving need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study conducted by MIT scholars reveals that the &#8220;energy burden&#8221; \u2014 the percentage of income dedicated to essential energy needs \u2014 has shifted geographically from 2015 to 2020. The energy burden threshold for being in &#8220;energy poverty&#8221; is defined as spending more than 6% of income on energy costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The research underscores that rising temperatures in the southern United States exacerbate financial strains as air conditioning becomes a necessity, while milder winters in northern regions reduce heating expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom 2015 to 2020, there is an increase in burden generally, and you do also see this southern shift,\u201d co-author Christopher Knittel, the George P. Shultz Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management and associate dean for climate and sustainability at MIT, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mit.edu\/2024\/changing-geography-energy-poverty-1009\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And he pointed out that federal aid doesn&#8217;t align with the energy burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen you compare the distribution of the energy burden to where the money is going, it\u2019s not aligned too well,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study analyzed data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration\u2019s Residential Energy Consumption Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s American Community Survey. It estimated the average household energy burden for every census tract in the lower 48 states between 2015 and 2020, uncovering a significant shift in energy burden towards southern states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By 2020, the states with the highest energy burden were Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, West Virginia and Maine. This marks a stark contrast from 2015, wherein colder states like Maine and Vermont topped the list. Additionally, urban areas showed a decrease in energy poverty, dropping from 23% of the highest-burdened census tracts in 2015 to 14% in 2020, indicating a notable urban-rural shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWho\u2019s going to be harmed most from climate change?\u201d Knittel added. \u201cIn the United States, not surprisingly, it\u2019s going to be the southern part of the United States. And our study is confirming that, but also suggesting it\u2019s the southern part of the United States that\u2019s least able to respond. If you\u2019re already burdened, the burden\u2019s growing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The implications for federal aid are substantial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), established in 1981 and updated in 1984 to include cooling needs, remains rooted in outdated data. The researchers argue that the formula determining aid distribution has not kept pace with shifting energy burdens due to climatic changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe way Congress uses formulas set in the 1980s keeps funding distributions nearly the same as it was in the 1980s,\u201d Peter Heller, a recent graduate of the MIT Technology and Policy Program, said in the news release. \u201cOur paper illustrates the shift in need that has occurred over the decades since then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reforming LIHEAP to match the current landscape of energy poverty would require significant restructuring. The study suggests a new funding model ensuring no household incurs an energy burden over 20.3%, redistributing subsidies to align with present-day needs more equitably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe think that\u2019s probably the most equitable way to allocate the money,\u201d Knittel added. \u201cSo that no one state is worse off than the others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This groundbreaking analysis not only highlights the critical need for updating federal aid programs but also underscores the broader implications of climate change on energy consumption and economic stability in vulnerable regions. As temperatures rise, addressing the shifting dynamics of energy poverty becomes ever more critical to support the most burdened households effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Climate change is altering the geography of energy poverty in the United States, increasingly burdening households in the South and Southwest that rely heavily on air conditioning, according to a new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The research, published in Science Advances, calls for an overhaul of federal energy assistance programs to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-climate-and-environment"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Climate change is altering the geography of energy poverty in the United States, increasingly burdening households in the South and Southwest that rely heavily on air conditioning, according to a new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The research, published in Science Advances, calls for an overhaul of federal energy assistance programs to&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7236"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7236\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30284,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7236\/revisions\/30284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}