ENERGY EFFICIENCY: REPORT TO MAP WORST “ENERGY BURDENS” FOR RURAL HOUSEHOLDS FROM COAST TO COAST

Up to 18 Percent of Household Income:  Who Bears the Biggest Burdens of All … and Where? ACEEE, EEFA Report Gauges Energy Burdens of Households in Nine US Regions.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Media Advisory) – Which Americans pay the greatest portion of their income for energy (an amount known as their “energy burden”)?  Who shoulders the biggest energy burden of all? What are the health impacts for households with disproportionately high energy costs?

Those questions will be answered at 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, July 18, when the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Energy Efficiency for All (EEFA) coalition, Appalachian Voices and Prosperity Now join forces to discuss a new report by ACEEE and EEFA measuring the energy burdens experienced by Americans living in rural areas, including low-income, minority, and elderly households.

The ACEEE/EEFA report, “The High Cost of Energy in Rural America: Household Energy Burdens and Opportunities for Energy Efficiency,” compares rural household energy burdens in nine US Census regions encompassing all 50 states, including: New England; Mid-Atlantic; East North Central; West North Central; South Atlantic; East South Central; West South Central; Mountain and Pacific.  States included in two regions with the worst energy burdens for rural households are (in alphabetical order):  Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Vermont.

The news event speakers will be:

• Lauren Ross, lead author and program director, local policy, ACEEE;
• Khalil Shahyd, senior project manager, EEFA/NRDC;
• Tom Cormons, executive director, Appalachian Voices; and
• Doug Ryan, director, affordable home ownership, Prosperity Now.

TO PARTICIPATE: Join the live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 11 a.m. EDT on July 18, 2018 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the “Energy Burden” news event.

CAN’T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at ACEEE’s YouTube page as of 5 p.m. EDT onWednesday, July 18, 2018.

CONTACT: Patrick Mitchell, (703) 276-3266 or pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The report will be made available under embargo by request only. The media embargo will begin on Tuesday, July 17, at noon EDT and run until Wednesday, July 18 at 11:30 a.m. EDT.

ABOUT THE GROUPS

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (http://aceee.org) acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors.

Energy Efficiency for All (http://energyefficiencyforall.org) is dedicated to linking the energy and housing sectors together in order to tap the benefits of energy efficiency for millions of low-income families. EEFA works with electric and gas utilities and their regulators interested in innovative energy efficiency program designs. EEFA advises housing finance agencies on best practices in building owner engagement and finance products. EEFA collaborates with owners, managers, businesses and advocates in order to achieve energy savings in multifamily properties. EEFA is a partnership of the Energy Foundation, Elevate Energy, National Housing Trust, and Natural Resources Defense Council.

Appalachian Voices (http://appvoices.org/about/) promotes diverse local economies and thriving communities and defends the land, air and water of our region from the worst environmental threats. We work at the nexus of the ongoing shift from fossil fuels to clean, 21st-century energy sources — we fight mountaintop removal coal mining, fracked-gas pipelines and other harms to the people and places of Appalachia, and we advance energy efficiency, solar and wind power, and other economic solutions that create community wealth and sustain Appalachia’s mountains, forests and waters.

Prosperity Now (formerly CFED) (https://prosperitynow.org/about) believes that everyone deserves a chance to prosper. Since 1979, we have helped make it possible for millions of people, especially people of color and those of limited incomes, to achieve financial security, stability and, ultimately, prosperity. We offer a unique combination of scalable practical solutions, in-depth research and proven policy solutions, all aimed at building wealth for those who need it most.

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