The Rockefeller Foundation
Updates
Texas Crisis Highlights U.S. Energy Justice Issues
copy url
Texas, facing record-low temperatures this February, lost control of the power supply, leaving millions without access to electricity. But the crisis was not equally felt, exposing inequities in the energy system that disproportionately impact low-income Texans of color.
Black and Latinx communities were the first to face power outages and could be the last to be reconnected. Low-income households already spend a disproportionate amount of income on utilities, in part because their homes often lack good insulation. In the wake of the storm, they lack the financial resources to rebound, and rising energy prices due to Texas’ deregulated electricity market will leave many families unable to pay their utility bills.