Detroit-Upper Peninsula Energy Burden Survey: a research project report and initial analysis of results

Abstract

We Want Green Too, a Detroit-based non-profit organization, conceived and conducted a survey of residents of the City of Detroit (with a focus on the east side) and six counties in Michigan's Upper Peninsula regarding energy burden and home-energy-related experiences. This survey was motivated by problems of inequity, unaffordability, and unreliability of energy service and resources for households in these geographic areas. The design of the survey occurred over the summer of 2020, and the planning for the survey period took place during the fall of 2020. Data collection was completed in January and February of 2021 via a phone bank operation that dialed a randomly selected set of phone numbers that were associated with registered voters in the target geographies. We collected 653 total complete responses (701 total partial responses) across all geographies. Initial analysis suggests that energy unreliability is associated with energy burden. Those spending a greater share of their income appear to experience detrimental energy reliability outcomes and energy unreliability impacts at higher rates than those who spend a smaller share of their income on energy. Those with high energy burdens who are Black/African American appear to experience detrimental energy reliability outcomes and energy unreliability impacts at higher rates than white respondents with similar energy burdens. Similarly, Detroit respondents appear to experience detrimental energy reliability outcomes and energy unreliability impacts at higher rates than Upper Peninsula respondents with similar high energy burdens. We conclude that these associations are evidence of environmental racism playing out in our state's energy system. Combating environmental injustice and structural racism must be a priority for Michigan's public officials, and policies that are meant to target these problems must account for inequities such as these within our state's energy system. Furthermore, while the worst impacts appear to correlate with Black/African American and highly energy burdened communities, the persistence of energy affordability and unreliability problems across race and geography indicate the state energy system is failing to meet basic needs related to energy statewide.