Town Hall Calls Attention to Detroit’s Severe Energy Burden Inequities

DETROIT, MI – Last night, Detroit activists and energy experts came together for a digital town hall and community Q & A to discuss Detroit’s energy burden, the percentage of household income spent on energy bills, which has grave disparities across racial lines. The event was hosted by: EcoWorks Detroit, Elevate Energy, Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Sierra Club, Soulardarity and We Want Green Too, and featured a panel of experts that talked about the problem and engaged the community in a discussion about solutions.

“Energy burden is an issue at the intersection of environmental justice, environment, poverty, racial justice and energy efficiency,” said Sharonda Williams-Tack, associate director of Healthy Communities Campaign, National Sierra Club. “It is so important for local and national organizations working on these issues to come together to help highlight the energy burden crisis in Detroit and foster discussion with community and decision makers towards solutions.” 

One in four households in Detroit have an energy burden that is 19 percent, five times the national average, leaving many Detroiters struggling to keep their power. Detroit’s energy burden disproportionately impacts Black and brown communities and intersects with many other issues including inefficient and/or unsafe homes, high eviction rates, and negative health outcomes, all of which can be tied to historic redlining practices that compound burdens on communities of color.

"We understand all too well about the disproportionate energy costs on Black household incomes,” said Rafael Mojica, program director for Soulardarity. “Residents who experienced the recent power outages in the Detroit area had to deal with unexpected costs such as replacing spoiled food. DTE’s attempts to cover these costs once again fell short. We are focused on achieving true energy democracy so that we can reduce life challenging outages in the future."    

Today’s town hall highlighted the problems associated with Detroit’s energy burden and focused on solutions for creating an energy future that is more just and sustainable. Advocates are calling on DTE and Governor Whitmer to prioritize reducing energy burden in their energy and climate plans. They assert that DTE must target high energy burden neighborhoods for health and safety repairs, energy efficiency and weatherization investments in their Energy Waste Reduction plan to lower energy use and energy bills for the most vulnerable Detroiters.

“Enduring four major power outages this summer has been extremely stressful and frustrating for people in Detroit and the metro area,” said Bridget Vial from the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition. “Now we have research suggesting that families who have more unaffordable bills also endure longer power outages. This is an energy system where the burdens of fast-rising bills, crumbling infrastructure, and air pollution consistently fall on people of color, low-income, and immigrant communities. We need the Michigan Public Service Commission and our elected officials to do their jobs and ensure reliable, affordable energy access, regardless of our race, income level or zip code.” 

Groups have also pushed for Governor Whitmer’s Michigan Healthy Climate Plan to reduce energy burden by prioritizing energy affordability policies that increase coordination among state agencies responsible for energy bill assistance and affordable housing; and prioritize distribution of energy efficiency, renewable energy and weatherization investments to Michigan households that have a high energy burden.

“The planet is burning and we are dying at extraordinary rates,” said Gloria J Lowe, founder and president of We Want Green Too. “The time to act was yesterday, we cannot wait any longer. The climate crisis is a threat to all communities, but Black and brown communities are seeing the most severe impacts of this unchecked crisis. We must act swiftly and aggressively to ensure that those most impacted by the climate crisis can live in healthy communities and access safe, affordable and sustainably produced energy.”

A recording of the event can be found here.