Journal of Science Policy & Governance
​Volume 20, Issue 01 | March 28, 2022

Policy Memo: Advancing Equity in Access to Distributed Energy Resources in California

Tricia Light (1), E. Carrie McIntosh (1), and Oliver L. Stephenson (2)
  1. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
  2. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
​
​Corresponding author: tlight@ucsd.edu
Keywords: equity; distributed energy resources (DER); electrification; energy regulation; non-energy benefits
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG200106

Executive Summary

The widespread adoption of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as household solar panels and electric vehicles is a key component of California’s plan to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, DER uptake and thus the benefits it provides are disproportionately concentrated among wealthy, white households and communities in the state. Here, we propose that the California State Legislature address this inequity through two distinct mechanisms: 1) requiring the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to prioritize DER programs that maximize non-energy benefits (e.g., reduced emissions, comfort, and safety, as proposed in 2021’s Senate Bill 345) and 2) directing the CPUC to prioritize infrastructure updates in disadvantaged communities. These changes would help transform sustainable technologies from a force that exacerbates existing inequality gaps into a mechanism for promoting public health and economic well-being in poor communities and communities of color.

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Background header image courtesy of Jonathan Cutrer from Flickr
Tricia Light is a PhD Candidate in Marine Chemistry at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. Tricia studies how the geochemistry of ocean sediments can be used to better understand the relationship between climate and life in the ocean. She is involved in climate activism through UCSD's Graduate and Professional Student Association's Climate Action and Policy Committee and as a member of the American Geophysical Union's Voices for Science Policy program. 

​Carrie McIntosh is a PhD candidate in the Earth Sciences program at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. She uses chemistry to investigate the origin of volcanic rocks on Earth and other planetary bodies. In addition to scientific research, Carrie is passionate about science policy and STEM outreach. She is a member of the American Geophysical Union's Voices for Science program. 

Oliver Stephenson is a PhD candidate in Geological and Planetary Sciences at the California Institute of Technology. His research looks at natural disasters using satellites and computer simulations. He also works to communicate science to the public and policymakers, including as part of the American Geophysical Union’s Voices for Science program, and the Communicating Science Conference. 

Acknowledgements 
The authors would like to thank the American Geophysical Union’s Voices for Science program and Elizabeth Landau and Brittany Webster, in particular, for their support in this project. The authors also thank our reviewers, Jekoniya Chitereka and Zoe Guttman, for their valuable comments and suggestions and Ken Branson from California Senator Josh Becker's office for insights regarding CA S.B. 345.

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