Did you know that Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia are among the poorest states in the nation, yet they have some of the highest energy burdens? In 2018, ACEEE reported the average energy burden for low-wage families as 4.7%, more than double the national average. In 2021 the average median energy burden for Georgia was 4.1%, with low-wage household carrying an average of 9.6%. And for Alabama, it was 4.3%, with a median of 10.1%. Many of these are black and brown communities. These numbers are staggering.
Read MoreAs a person new to climate advocacy, I do not need a Ph.D. in environmental science to see that we are in trouble. Just take a look at the news. Or better yet, take a look around our communities. Fires rage without discrimination throughout the West, and tornadoes destroy entire towns. Crops destroyed by major flooding mean higher prices at grocery stores.
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