Addressing Energy Equity in the United States: Policy Considerations for Federal Investment

This issue brief by the World Resources Institute examines energy injustice in the United States and proposes strategies for federal investment to ensure the clean energy transition equitably distributes benefits to marginalized households and communities.

• The U.S. energy system is characterized by significant inequities where low-income households, as well as Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other households of color, pay a disproportionate amount of their income toward home energy costs.
• Without deliberate intervention, federal investments in clean energy—specifically regarding access to energy and job creation—will likely fail to be distributed equitably across different genders, races, ethnicities, geographies, and income levels.
• The federal government can utilize various targeted investment tools, such as grants, loans, loan guarantees, direct payments, and technical assistance, to improve access to the financial, environmental, health, and social benefits of clean energy.
• To maximize the impact of federal spending, the author recommends several policy actions: reviewing existing spending programs for suitability, implementing data-driven programming based on community input, building the capacity of disadvantaged communities to lead and secure funding, and ensuring clean energy jobs meet high wage and anti-discrimination standards.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Addressing Energy Equity in the United States: Policy Considerations for Federal Investment. https://www.wri.org/research/energy-equity-united-states-federal-investment

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Addressing Energy Equity in the United States: Policy Considerations for Federal Investment. 2021. https://www.wri.org/research/energy-equity-united-states-federal-investment.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Addressing Energy Equity in the United States: Policy Considerations for Federal Investment |date=24 February 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/research/energy-equity-united-states-federal-investment |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2021addressing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Addressing Energy Equity in the United States: Policy Considerations for Federal Investment}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/energy-equity-united-states-federal-investment}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }