Host Carolyn Parrs speaks with Dr. Diana Hernández, Associate Professor at Columbia University and co-author of "Powerless: The People's Struggle for Energy," about the often invisible crisis of energy insecurity affecting millions of American households.
Dr. Hernández brings her unique perspective as both a researcher and someone who experienced energy hardship firsthand, revealing how the inability to meet basic energy needs forces impossible choices between heating, eating, and other necessities.
As utilities face increasing scrutiny over disconnection policies and as federal energy assistance programs experience devastating cuts, this timely conversation explores how energy insecurity disproportionately impacts communities of color, families with children, and low-income households.
Dr. Hernández introduces her groundbreaking SPARKED framework, offering a comprehensive roadmap for policymakers and utilities to create more equitable energy systems.
Key Insights
- The impossible choices of energy insecurity - how millions of households must decide between heating, cooling, food, and medicine
- The broken energy safety net - why current assistance programs are failing vulnerable populations, especially after recent federal budget cuts
- Health consequences of energy hardship - the documented impacts on physical and mental wellbeing when homes are too cold, too hot, or too dark
- Rethinking utilities' role - why disconnection policies punish poverty and how preventative approaches from healthcare could transform energy assistance
- The SPARKED framework - a comprehensive approach to energy justice that addresses structural inequities while centering human experiences
- Rate reform opportunities - how income-based utility rates could create more equitable energy systems as we navigate complex energy transitions
Listen to understand why energy justice must be central to climate policy and how we can build systems that recognize energy as a fundamental human right.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Energy Insecurity
02:53 Understanding Energy Insecurity and Its Impacts
05:58 The Interplay of Energy Burden and Insecurity
08:54 Personal Journey into Energy Justice
12:00 Energy Insecurity as a Justice Issue
15:05 Health Implications of Energy Insecurity
18:02 Households with Children and Energy Needs
21:04 The Current Energy Landscape and Future Hope
22:49 The Reality of Energy Disconnection
25:36 The Energy Safety Net and Its Challenges
28:42 Rethinking Utility Roles and Energy Systems
32:23 Policy Makers and Energy Equity
35:57 The SPARKED Framework for Energy Justice
Links
Diana Hernández, PhD
New Book: "Powerless: The People's Struggle for Energy"
https://www.russellsage.org/publications/powerless
Discount code: POWERLESS]

Diana Hernández's personal website: https://drdianahernandez.com/

Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences - https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/profile/diana-hernandez-phd
Founder and Principal Investigator, Energy Equity, Housing and Health (E2H2) Program
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University - https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/energy-equity-housing-and-health
Director of US Programs, Energy Opportunity Lab (EOL), Center on Global Energy Policy - https:

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