Ricky Junquera - ricky.junquera@sierraclub.org
GEORGIA -- Today, Dr. Marilyn A. Brown, of Georgia Institute of Technology in partnership with the Sierra Club in Georgia released an energy burden report highlighting the oversized financial burden black households face in Georgia.
The report shows how Black households in Georgia face disproportionately high energy burdens, including historic discrimination and disinvestment in infrastructure. The report goes a step further than similar studies by conducting surveys of energy-burdened households to find out what other consequences they face when they spend a significant portion of their income on energy bills.
In response, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Senior Communications & Policy Coordinator Ricky Leroux issued the following statement:
"Examining the correlation between energy burdens and race is critical to understanding the root causes of the disparities we see here in Georgia, so studies like this one are essential to pursuing true equity. Thanks to the work of Dr. Brown and all who helped with this study, I’m hopeful that policymakers can get a fuller understanding of the issue and work to address the underlying problems.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.