Abstract:

Equity has become a buzzword in the energy industry. Much of the industry is aware of the burdens the energy system imbues upon frontline communities. However, our processes have long hinged on creating equal access (Cosgrove 2022), or the same level of support or resources for all individuals, rather than equitable access. An equity-centered approach allocates resources differently to different groups to help remove barriers to participation that impede groups who have been least able to participate (Kinstedt, Beaton, and Capps 2022). Energy equity centers the voices of frontline communities in energy planning and decision-making and ensures the fair distribution of clean energy benefits and ownership (Energy Equity Project 2022). Thus, evaluators cannot fully understand why programs have failed to reach certain communities until they bring the community they have failed to reach into the research team as partners, not research subjects.

To design programs for equity, utilities and evaluators need to have a purposeful commitment to and financial investment in community priorities, equally value the expertise and experiences of community members as researchers and conveyors of knowledge, and leverage different research methodologies. This paper presents case studies of equitable evaluation practices from other industries, envisions a future utility where structures and programs are co-designed with community, and a program evaluation framework built on a foundation of targeted universalism. The evaluation framework includes specific actions evaluators can immediately implement to begin to transform their research methodologies, improve outcomes, and continue to give utilities and regulators the insights they need.

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