Energy Storage for Low-Income Communities
By Dillon Cruz
Low-income Angelenos struggle with financial and energy insecurity. As Los Angeles pushes to decarbonize its power grid by 2035, these residents will contend with higher electricity rates as well. While the City has many tools at its disposal to tackle affordability, one tool is relatively unexplored: energy storage. Deploying energy storage within communities can reduce monthly bills, protect residents during blackouts, and eliminate expensive grid upgrades. In light of these benefits, this policy brief presents key recommendations for the the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to use energy storage to reduce energy burden on disadvantaged communities.
This brief was completed as part of a project for the 2021 Aspen Tech Policy Hub Fellowship, a program to teach technology experts how to impact policy.
