New Hampshire Energy Burden Assessment

Client: 350 New Hampshire

Authors: Jordan Burt, PhD, Tanya Stasio, PhD, Elisabeth Seliga, and Elizabeth A Stanton, PhD

July 2026

On behalf of 350 New Hampshire, Researcher Jordan Burt, PhD, Senior Researcher Tanya Stasio, PhD, Assistant Researcher Elisabeth Seliga, and Principal Economist Elizabeth A. Stanton, PhD, prepared a report that assesses disparities in energy burden across New Hampshire’s households. AEC’s analysis found that, on average, low-income household in New Hampshire spend 7 percent of their income on energy costs compared to just 3 percent for non-low-income households. In addition, AEC finds that low-income renters faced higher energy burdens on average than non-low-income renters. Informed by these findings and based on a review of existing energy programs across the country, AEC makes six recommendations to reduce energy bills and improve access to clean energy for low-income and renter households in New Hampshire.

Link to Report

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Inflection Point: When Heating with Gas Costs More

Client: HEET

Authors: Joshua R. Castigliego, Sagal Alisalad, Tanya Stasio, and Liz Stanton, PhD

January 2021 (Updated March 2021)

On behalf of the HEET, Researcher Joshua Castigliego, Assistant Researcher Sagal Alisalad, Research Assistant Tanya Stasio, and Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD compared the annual energy cost of heating the average-sized home in Massachusetts using either a gas furnace or electric heat pumps. This analysis focuses exclusively on a home’s annual heating bill as it is the most relevant measure for Massachusetts households. Home heating bills influence fuel choice and put a disproportionate burden on low- and moderate-income families that spend a larger share of their income on energy bills. In this white paper, AEC finds that while today’s gas heating bills are less expensive than the electricity needed to run an air-source heat pump (ASHP), this relationship will reverse. Heating with ASHPs will become less expensive than heating with gas, with an inflection point occurring at some point between 2026 and 2030.

Link to White Paper Updated (3/19/2021)

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Testimony on Four Corners Coal Units in Arizona

Client: Sierra Club

Author: Tyler Comings

October 2020

(Updated: December 2020)

AEC Senior Researcher Tyler Comings filed testimony in Arizona on the economics of the Four Corners Units 4 and 5. Mr. Comings found that Arizona Public Service (APS) has repeatedly failed to justify continued investment in the units, and that the units should be retired sooner than currently planned. Mr. Comings analysis showed that there would be substantial savings to ratepayers if the units were to retire in 2023. 

Link to Testimony

Link to Surrebuttal (December 2020)

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Testimony on Evergy Missouri's Fuel Costs

Client: Sierra Club

Author: Tyler Comings

August 2020

AEC Senior Researcher Tyler Comings testified on the prudence of fuel costs of the Evergy Missouri coal fleet. Mr. Comings found that Evergy should commit its units on a market basis and that some fuel costs should be disallowed because they could have been avoided.

Link to Testimony

Link to Surrebuttal Testimony

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