About this episode

The episode discusses the dangers of home power shutoffs during extreme heat and the impact on vulnerable households.

Summer is here, temperatures are rising — and so are electric bills. That also means many people are facing a severely overlooked issue: power shutoffs. According to a report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2024 utility companies disconnected U.S. households from electricity more than 13.4 million times due to a customer’s inability to pay. When that happens, people can’t turn on their lights, keep food refrigerated, or cool down the home. And regulations preventing shutoffs during extreme heat events are woefully inadequate. But when utilities help pay the upfront costs of efficiency upgrades, the customers and utilities can both save energy — and money. How do we protect the most vulnerable people from the dangers of home power shutoffs? Guests: Jean Su, Energy Justice Director, Center for Biological Diversity Sanya Carley, Co-Director, Energy Justice Lab, University of Pennsylvania Tamara Jones, Co-Executive Director, Clean Energy Works Highlights: 00:00 Introduction 4:15 Jean Su on topline takeaways from nationwide data 10:04 Jean Su on why utilities don’t cover the cost of non-payment 12:55 Jean Su on polices to prevent shutoffs 16:16 Jean Su on the reality…

People in this episode

Guests: Jean Su, Sanya Carley, Tamara Jones

Topics covered

• power shutoffs
• energy justice
• utility companies
• extreme heat
• household impact
• efficiency upgrades

Keywords

• power shutoffs
• electric bills
• energy efficiency
• utility disconnections
• household safety

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Center for Biological Diversity, Energy Justice Lab, University of Pennsylvania, Clean Energy Works, U.S. Energy Information Administration

More episodes of Climate One

• Cleaner Steel is Coming. Will the Communities That Built the Industry Benefit? · July 17, 2026 · 56 min
• Beyond the Rights of Nature: Land that Owns Itself · July 10, 2026 · 1h 4m
• When Your New Neighbor Is… a Data Center · June 26, 2026 · 1h 2m
• Making Solar Great Again · June 19, 2026 · 1h 4m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Climate One podcast page.