Advancing Equity in Access to Distributed Energy Resources in California

Abstract

The widespread adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as household solar panels and electric vehicles is a key component of California’s plan to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, DER uptake and thus the benefits it provides are disproportionately concentrated among wealthy, white households and communities in the state. Here, we propose that the California State Legislature address this inequity through two distinct mechanisms: 1) requiring the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to prioritize DER programs that maximize non-energy benefits (e.g., reduced emissions, comfort, and safety, as proposed in 2021’s Senate Bill 345) and 2) directing the CPUC to prioritize infrastructure updates in disadvantaged communities. These changes would help transform sustainable technologies from a force that exacerbates existing inequality gaps into a mechanism for promoting public health and economic well-being in poor communities and communities of color.