Between Dec 19, 2024 and Jan 2, 2025, datasets can be submitted to DRUM but will not be processed until after the break. Staff will not be available to answer email during this period, and will not be able to provide DOIs until after Jan 2. If you are in need of a DOI during this period, consider Dryad or OpenICPSR. Submission responses to the UDC may also be delayed during this time.

Browsing by Subject "low-income households"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The City Makes the Water: The Inequitable Relationship Between Water Affordability and Race
    (2021-05) Clement, Josh
    The water unaffordability crisis in the United States is accelerating. This emergency is exacerbated by a nation-wide water infrastructure system that is stressed by aging infrastructure and increasing urbanization, with limited public resources available for necessary investments. The United States requires an estimated $1 trillion invested in water infrastructure over the next 25 years, which will be partially funded by rate increases on consumers (American Water and Wastewater Association 2012). High income inequality has made water increasingly unaffordable in major metropolitan areas and climate change will increase the financial burden on city populations that already struggle to pay water rates. At a household level, water affordability is determined by dividing the average water costs for a household by its income. This metric is used to guide water infrastructure investments – if water rates remain affordable for the average median income, water is deemed accessible to a population. But this metric ignores the realities that gird American society: the cities with the highest infrastructure needs, where rates will rise the most, are more likely to have higher proportions of low-income households. These same cities are likely to have higher proportions of communities of color.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Incorporating Renewable Energy Technology into the Minnesota Weatherization Assistance Program: Reducing Energy Burden Among Low-Income Households
    (2024-05-01) Carrera, Alexa
    Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations within the Minnesota Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) are not a new effort. In fact, this effort first began as a pilot program in 2020 and has been growing ever since. In the midst of the global energy transition, the Minnesota WAP stands as a pioneering force by aiming to make renewable energy technologies accessible to low-income households across the state. Over the past three years, the initiative has demonstrated a remarkable impact, yielding greater energy savings compared to traditional weatherization measures. Not only does this state-wide effort have the potential to alleviate energy burden among low-income households, but it also allows for increasing renewable energy accessibility for communities that have been traditionally underserved. As the momentum behind this innovative weatherization measure continues to build, there arises a need for a comprehensive understanding of the current challenges and opportunities for continued implementation of solar PV into Minnesota WAP. Through a series of twenty-one stakeholder interviews ranging from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, local WAP service providers, non-profits, state agencies, local government, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the private sector, this paper aims to examine the current landscape of renewable energy technology within WAP by understanding the challenges and opportunities associated with the effort and provide recommendations to relevant stakeholders on how to make this effort more efficient and seamless. Furthermore, this paper can help other WAP Grantees who are considering incorporating solar PV as a new weatherization measure.