Is energy independence only for the rich?

Rolling blackouts. Harmful impacts on the environment. Rising costs. Everywhere you look, people are finding motivation to work toward sustainability and energy independence in their lives. And from electric vehicles to solar panels, disconnecting from traditional fossil fuels and the electricity grid they power has never been easier or more affordable.

But as has always been the case with new technologies, the early adopters of clean energy and off-grid technology are those who can afford it. For most Americans, especially those living near or below the poverty line, this kind of technology and energy independence can seem out of reach.

The coronavirus pandemic has only deepened those disparities, with nearly 5 million households unable to pay at least one energy bill during the pandemic, according to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University. A recent CNET survey found that Americans continue to feel anxious about energy costs, with 78% saying they are worried about their home energy bills and 32% using loan and payment plans to pay those bills.

So without breaking their bank accounts or winning the lottery, what can ordinary people do to adopt more clean energy into their daily lives and work toward disconnecting from the grid? What options are emerging as potential solutions? And what barriers stand in the way?

The desire for energy independence

In a country as geographically and demographically diverse as the United States, motivations for implementing clean energy or achieving energy independence vary significantly depending on where you live.

For residents of our most populous state, this motivation is easy to understand and is not a new problem.

“Every summer we tend to have rolling blackouts in California or the threat of rolling blackouts,” said Brian Goldstein, executive director of Energy Independence Now, a nonprofit environmental group focused on advancing EV fuel cell technology, renewable energy storage and decarbonization. “So there’s always that question in the back of your mind: ‘How are you going to cope if the grid goes down for a while?’”

This kind of grid uncertainty is one of the main factors that has people looking for solutions more than ever before. Last year, a record 5 million solar installations reached homes in the United States, and programs like community solar are giving access to them to those who didn’t have them before.

This is an undeniable trend moving away from the traditional pattern, although not everyone can participate in it yet.

“Ultimately, if we had a lot of Americans thinking along those lines — more microgrids or the ability to convert your own home to a microgrid — it seems pretty cool and efficient that we could do that,” Goldstein said. “So I think there’s a lot of appetite among Americans to do that, along with a little bit of distrust of handing over the reins of that process to your local utility.”

Is the pursuit of energy independence a reasonable goal for most Americans at this point, or is it a misguided goal? Ram Narayanamurthy, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Building Technologies, said it “makes sense,” but maybe not in the way some might think.

“It’s just about understanding what you really want out of that independence,” he said. “Let’s say a storm comes and you have to be able to survive for 72 hours. There are ways to do that without having to be completely independent from the system… I think those goals are actually more achievable and attainable for most people.”

What’s standing in the way?

There may be an appetite for independence and green energy, but that doesn’t make access easier. As is often the case, the first and biggest barrier is money and difficulty in access.

While a renter or homeowner can make a quick phone call and get quick access to traditional electricity and natural gas, it’s harder to find off-grid options. Most Americans don’t know what community solar is, for example, and only 20% have considered it. And when it comes to smaller-scale options, like more efficient appliances and other electrical items in the home, it’s simply a budget decision more often than not.

“How do you get someone to install an efficient refrigerator if they own the space but don’t live there?” said Jesse Emge, director of Evergreen Economics, a Portland-based public policy organization that specializes in research and analysis on energy programs and economic impact. “They say, ‘Well, I’ll just put in the cheapest one. I’m not paying the bill.’ Then the tenant comes in and says, ‘I’m not going to do that. I don’t own this place.’”

Could government intervention help? Maybe. Solar power incentives, for example, have been helpful for some. But upfront costs remain a barrier. “With any gadget program or home electrification program … the incentives tend to work, but they still don’t reach the hardest-to-reach people,” Emge said. “They just don’t get through those barriers.”

It seems that legislative options cannot go far. It may not provide rapid progress, but in many cases new technologies simply have to become cheaper, and this process is already underway.

Meanwhile, lawmakers and community leaders should look in the mirror and ask themselves whether energy decisions are actually helping the communities they want to improve.

“I’m very idealistic about this energy transition; I grew up watching Captain Planet,” said Matthew Gonzalez, interim executive director of Four Corners Clean Energy Alliance and executive director of the southwest chapters of Consumer Energy Alliance and HBW Resources. “But I also had the opportunity to serve as mayor of the community where I live and serve on the city council, and my perspective changed a lot. … Often, (public policy) isn’t based on practicality.”

Finding solutions

If it’s not easy and sometimes not feasible for the average American to become completely energy independent, how can they begin to achieve this goal in their lives? It’s still an investment, but solar panel technology is more affordable than ever and getting cheaper.

Emge said he is working on installing portable batteries in his home. He said there are policies and programs that can help others follow that path, such as Southern California Edison’s Critical Care Backup Battery Program, which offers free portable backup batteries that can power important medical equipment during a power outage.

But on a larger scale — and especially for tenants — the technology isn’t ready yet. And for clean energy enthusiasts like Emge, it’s only a matter of time before it catches up.

“There has to be some technology,” Emge said. “There has to be some way for a tenant to have a solar system. Let’s go full science fiction: Maybe it’s a box they can plug into their living room and stick out the window. But there’s no way yet to get them to buy a system they theoretically have to leave on the roof.”

For many, reducing fossil fuel use is a key environmental goal. That’s why organizations like Energy Independence Now are fully committed to promoting EV technology, including a particular focus on hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. But as with other technologies, we’re not yet at the point where EVs are as affordable as entry-level internal combustion engine cars. But we’re not far off.

“The biggest barrier, or the perception of a barrier, is probably still cost, although it’s quite remarkable … how dramatically the costs are coming down,” Goldstein said. “In fact, we’re in a bit of a crash right now in the battery electric vehicle market, where the prices of many of these vehicles have come down dramatically.”

One of the biggest factors limiting wider access to electric vehicles is infrastructure, and Goldstein is very aware of that. Whether it’s plugs or even dedicated parking lots or garages, even a state like California isn’t ready for most people to drive electric vehicles yet.

“A lot of the people driving these cars, the early adopters, are people who could afford it and had access to the infrastructure or resources that they needed to change their lifestyle to accommodate the demands of a battery electric vehicle,” Goldstein said. “As we try to penetrate deeper and deeper into the population, it’s going to get harder and harder. And then there’s going to be a large segment of the population that just won’t necessarily be able to adapt to these changes.”

How far are we?

Narayanamurthy understands that utilities and energy suppliers desperately need to “work on trust relationships” with their customers. He said the government is trying to help and has had success with programs like the introduction of heat pumps and other incentives.

Meanwhile, for the average American, completely detaching ourselves from reality is a challenge.

“If you look at it from a customer perspective, unless you feel like you really have the skills to manage your energy system, it makes more sense for you to be connected and get a percentage of your energy from your energy suppliers,” he said. “That probably gives them more reliable and resilient energy.”

Meanwhile, human rights advocates are pushing for solutions that make it easier for people to become energy independent.

“In California, the last 40 years of energy efficiency and demand-side management policies have largely worked,” Emge said. “I don’t know if it was all cost-effective, but it worked. We found a way to replace every light bulb in the state, and I think that’s a function of those programs. So the monetary incentives work, and I think the things we’re doing can work.”

It is obvious that introducing a few incentives here and there to use expensive technology will not benefit everyone.

“I’m passionate about this and I think all of these things are solvable, I really do,” Gonzalez said. “But it’s going to take a ton of innovation. It’s going to take people coming to the table. It’s going to take every community actually having a say.”