Dr. Tony Reames and Energy Justice Work Featured in EBONY Magazine
Dr. Tony Reames, whose work focuses on energy poverty and energy justice, was profiled in EBONY magazine. In the online article, Reames, an assistant professor of environmental justice and sustainable systems at the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), discusses the inspiration for his work; the racial, economic, and geographic disparities in energy access and affordability; his Energy Justice course at SEAS; and the costs associated with going green.
"I often say we're living in the United States of Energy Insecurity," said Reames, who directs the Urban Energy Justice Lab at SEAS. "Data from the US Energy Information Administration found that roughly 1 in 3 (31%) US households face energy insecurity (didn’t buy food or medicine to pay energy, received a shutoff notice, or kept their home too hot or too cold to save money)."
"Black households are disproportionately impacted, 52% experience energy insecurity and Black households have an energy burden 43% higher than white households,” he added. “The pandemic has worsened levels of energy insecurity.”