EARNEST: Resilience strategies for a net-zero neighborhood
Equitable, Affordable & Resilient Nationwide Energy System Transition (EARNEST) Project
An Equitable, Affordable & Resilient Nationwide Energy System Transition or EARNEST is a project funded by the US Department of Energy, led by Stanford University, that brings together a university consortium to study energy system transitions. EARNEST offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to navigating the complexities of transitioning to a 21st-century energy landscape.
With the nation's electric power sector poised for a monumental shift driven by increasing demand for electricity, ambitious decarbonization goals, and a pressing need to address social inequities, EARNEST provides a roadmap for this transition. President Biden's target of achieving 100% clean power by 2035, coupled with state-level policies and initiatives such as Justice40 (EJ40), highlights the urgency and importance of initiatives aimed at equitable access to clean energy resources.
The project recognizes the interconnectedness of various factors shaping the energy transition. It acknowledges how imperative it is to plan for resilience as the grid undergoes large changes, emphasizes the importance of strategic investment planning, and advocates for reforming incentives to foster innovation.
One of EARNEST's missions is the development of advanced tools and decision-making processes informed by stakeholders and tailored to diverse temporal and geographical contexts. By fostering collaboration among universities, industry partners, and energy stakeholders, EARNEST aims to advance what we know about grid resilience, equity, and sustainability.
From understanding the current state of resilience and equity in the electricity sector to developing models that support informed decision-making, EARNEST seeks to leave a lasting impact. Through real-world pilot projects and the nurturing of a skilled workforce, EARNEST will help us work towards a deeply decarbonized and resilient grid that benefits all communities. Furthermore, by providing metrics for tracking progress and supporting decision-making at both utility and industry levels, EARNEST contributes to the realization of a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable energy future for all.
Project Summary
Under EARNEST, the pilot project the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability will be working on is resilience strategies for a low-income net zero neighborhood. Bryant neighborhood in Ann Arbor, MI is comprised of about 260 homes where 75% of households are low-income and 50% are BIPOC. The City of Ann Arbor plans to decarbonize Bryant through home electrification, the deployment of distributed energy resources, and the creation of a Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) that will operate in parallel to the existing investor-owned utility.
The frequency, duration, and intensity of hurricanes, wildfires, ice storms, flooding, heatwaves, and other extreme weather events are on the rise due to climate change, placing strain on the aging infrastructure of the electrical system. Much of the country's electrical infrastructure was constructed without accounting for the current climate conditions. As temperatures continue to rise, the performance, resilience, and capacity of our electricity systems to meet demand may be further compromised, making it clear that large investments in our infrastructure are needed.
From 2000 - 2021, Michigan ranked second in the nation for the most reported weather-related power outages. Long-duration power outages are becoming more common given a nonstationary climate and increasing extreme weather events. This project aims to answer how we can build resilience in our energy systems to protect against these events as we move towards an electrified future.
To answer this question, a better understanding of how these communities deal with long-duration outages is needed. The team aims to do this through interviews with Bryant neighborhood residents where they will ask questions regarding previous outage experience and coping strategies employed. For participants, the study will provide a financial incentive.
After analyzing the results, the team will conduct a card stacking activity where residents will be given cards labeled with an appliance name (e.g., microwave, refrigerator, etc.) based on the appliances in their home and services in the community. The height of the card will correspond to the cost of electricity needed to run that appliance for one hour. The team will ask households to stack these cards to learn about how they prioritize different appliances and services.
Once data collection and analysis are complete, the researchers hope to demonstrate that it is possible to draw meaningful conclusions about the choices people can and might make regarding trade-offs individuals are willing to navigate between the cost of electricity during outages and the level of resilience they prioritize.