The Department of Energy (DOE) defines energy burden as the percentage of gross household income spent on heating or cooling the home. According to DOE’s Low-Income Energy Affordability Data Tool, the energy burden for low-income households is 8.6 percent, three times higher than for non-low-income households which is estimated at 3 percent. In some areas, energy burden can be as high as 30 percent. Of all U.S. households, 44 percent are considered low-income. To address these disparities, the Energy Storage Program under the DOE’s Office of Electricity launched the Energy Storage for Social Equity Initiative (ES4SE). This is a $9 million effort to help up to 15 disadvantaged communities look at energy storage to meet energy goals.
