Out of sight, out of mind? How electricity (un)reliability shapes residential energy transitions

Abstract

Social norms on household energy consumption practices have been historically fostered through ideas of comfort, cleanliness and modernity, underpinned by reliable and affordable energy services. Contemporary discourses on energy transitions require households to conform to new expectations of “sustainable” living, calling for energy users to participate in the electrification of energy end-uses, provided sufficient economic incentives. Yet, a combination of emotional and social responses to the increased frequency of power outages complicate this account. Despite expectations of consumer cooperation in the clean energy transition, limited research explores how differing capabilities and lived experiences with energy infrastructure modify perspectives on these changes. Through semi-structured interviews with sixty Northern California residents, we explore how residents cope with energy unreliability and whether—or how—they envision transitioning to higher levels of electrification of their homes. By centering users' lived experiences, this work goes beyond formulations of “customer choices” to focus on how everyday energy practices are reimagined in the context of residential electrification policies, climate imperatives, and power outages —or the fear thereof. We argue that the emotional, social, and relational dimensions of grid reliability should complement the predominantly techno-economic lens through which electricity reliability is studied, highlighting the implications of this framing for electricity-intensive residential energy transitions.