Southern States Face Rising Energy Poverty Amid Outdated Federal Aid Allocation

A new study highlights the need for reform in federal energy assistance to address increasing cooling costs in southern U.S. households.

The study reveals that southern states, experiencing higher energy burdens due to rising temperatures, receive less federal energy assistance compared to northern states.
Researchers used machine learning to analyze energy poverty data, showing a disproportionate energy burden in southern regions from 2015 to 2020.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) currently allocates more funds to northern states, based on outdated formulas from the 1980s.
To effectively address energy poverty, the study suggests reallocating LIHEAP funds to better match current energy needs, particularly in the South.
Achieving equitable energy assistance nationwide would require a fourfold increase in the LIHEAP budget, which is deemed politically unlikely.