AEC Equity Resources

AEC is a mission-based non-profit consulting group providing services (e.g., analysis, modeling, testimony, public reports, etc.) in the areas of energy, climate, environment, and social equity. This page is a curated list of resources relating to the intersections of equity, race, and the environment. AEC's objective is to create a space for educational materials on significant disparities that exist in energy and environmental sectors.

Understanding equity and how it relates to energy and environmental issues

• Equity is fairness or justice in treatment. Equity is not equality, which is about the sameness of treatment. Instead, equitable outcomes often require differential treatments and resource redistribution to address existing barriers for particular groups.

• Social equity is equitable management of public institutions, including equitable distribution of public services and implementation of policy.

• Environmental justice is the just treatment and involvement of all people—regardless of their race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, national origin, tribal affiliation, or disability—in public decision-making and activities that impact human health and environment.

• Energy justice aims to achieve equitable participation in the energy system while remediating existing social, economic, and health burdens of those disproportionately harmed by the energy system.

AEC resources for understanding equity in the context of energy planning decisions

• AEC Climate and Social Equity Framework: This framework provides guidance on how to incorporate considerations of social equity in climate planning.

• Equity and Environmental Justice Guidance and Recommendations: AEC equity and environmental justice guidance and support to TNC Northeast (and New York) Division’s government relations staff. As part of this work, AEC provided an equity and environmental justice organization library and a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) library that includes DEIJ Action Plans, Implementation Guides, Strategy Frameworks, and other related equity, environmental and social justice materials.

• Bringing Equity into Energy Reliability Decisions: This report utilizes case studies of advocacy for more equitable energy systems real-world experiences to assess how decision-makers should account for equity when making decisions regarding system reliability. The report concludes with recommendations for future decision-making in energy system reliability, including strengthening consumer and community representation.

More resources for understanding equity in the context of energy planning decisions

• Mah, J. and Sussman, R. 2023. Adapting Energy Efficiency Programs to Reach Underserved Residents. American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. Available at: https://www.aceee.org/toolkit/2023/11/adapting-energy-efficiency-programs-reach-underserved-residents

• Barlow, J., Tapio, R., Tarekegne, B. 2022. “Advancing the State of Equity Metrics.” The Electricity Journal, 35, 107208. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040619022001348

• Woolf, T., Napoleon, A., Mims Frick, N., Schwartz, L. C., Michals, J. May 2024. Distributional Equity Analysis for Energy Efficiency and Other Distributed Energy Resources: A Practical Guide. U.S. Department of Energy. Available at: https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/distributional-equity-analysis