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Executive Summary
Extreme heat and power outages are two growing climate-driven threats that endanger the health and safety of vulnerable households and communities. Heat waves are among the deadliest natural hazards in the United States, and they are becoming more frequent, longer lasting, and more intense. Power outages, also on the rise, compound the risks posed by heat waves. These threats not only intersect, they also disproportionately impact communities with high economic, health, and social vulnerability—many of which have been shaped by a legacy of structural discrimination. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Black residents are 40% more likely to live in areas with higher mortality rates from rising temperatures than non-Black residents.
This report, part of the Energy Opportunity Lab at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, explores how residents of North Lawndale, a predominantly Black and historically under-resourced neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, experience the compounded effects of heat waves and power outages. With rates of chronic health issues, poverty, unemployment, and energy burden (the percentage of income used to pay energy bills) well above state averages, North Lawndale contends with more frequent and longer outages as well as greater barriers to coping with extreme heat compared to wealthier neighborhoods in Chicago.
By sharing concerns expressed by local residents during a focus group discussion, this report adds community voices to existing research on weather-induced energy insecurity to ensure that the experiences of affected people are better understood by policymakers weighing reform options. Participants described significant impacts from outages—from trauma and food loss to isolation and disruption of caregiving responsibilities. Additional participant experiences during extreme heat include the following:
- Insufficient outage preparedness by utilities: While participants took household-level steps to prepare—such as stocking water, canned food, fans, portable chargers, and, when feasible, securing generators—they expressed frustration that utilities did not seem similarly prepared, such as by planning for common equipment failures during heat waves and having a backup ready.
- Disparities in power restoration by place and privilege: Participants perceived differences in how quickly power was restored, depending on neighborhood. They observed that downtown areas received immediate attention while disinvested communities like North Lawndale were deprioritized.
- Inadequate heat wave coping strategies and intersectional vulnerabilities: Even in the absence of outages, residents said extreme heat poses serious challenges. Participants described limiting their use of air conditioning due to high electricity costs, and/or leaving their apartments altogether to get cool elsewhere, such as on air-conditioned public buses. Participants also described elderly and low-income residents facing difficult choices between running air conditioning and avoiding disconnection, often resulting in unsafe conditions and distress.
- Barriers to accessing renewable energy programs: Participants were not aware of a new clean energy program in Illinois, making clear the shortcomings with outreach. Better information, however, isn’t the only hurdle to access: renters among the participant group would not be eligible for this program, preventing those most affected by energy insecurity from benefiting from such state assistance.
The focus group discussion illuminated policy opportunities for utilities, regulators, and state legislatures, including equitable and transparent infrastructure investments, outage response protocols that account for vulnerability, and electricity affordability through income-based rates and bill assistance. It also highlighted the importance of ensuring disconnection protections are established and enforced during extreme heat and that renewable energy and weatherization programs are designed to include renters and low-income households.
