Category: Map of the Month

By Amy Lovell

Map: Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

After decades of steady demand, power consumption is increasing at unprecedented rates across the United States. According to one recent study, there will be 128 GW of new power demand – around 30% of the 2024 electric capacity – added to the grid just in the next five years, largely fueled by the outsized energy needs of data center and computing facilities. A 2024 report from McKinsey lists Georgia and Florida as “emerging demand,” in addition to lower but fast-growing demand in five other Southeastern States where companies have been rapidly siting new computing and manufacturing facilities.  

This month’s map considers the implications of this unprecedented load growth in the South. We use data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to review how Southern utilities currently generate power, as well as the expected energy and financial implications of new generation infrastructure that will be required to meet these needs. 

The Southeast has a power generation capacity of 370 Gigawatts (GW), which is generated by a diverse portfolio of power plant types as shown in the chart below. Natural gas is the leading fuel source. It supplies around half of the region’s electric generating capacity, and is the main fuel in Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Coal-fired power plants supply 16% of the region’s electricity, dominating power generation in Kentucky (68%) and West Virginia (74%). Nuclear power is a consistent energy source in all areas except the islands, Kentucky, and West Virginia, providing 11% of the region’s electricity. Nuclear power supplies more than one-third of electric power in Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas.  Averaged over the region, oil comprises 2% of the power supply. Hydroelectric and pumped storage facilities throughout the region contribute 7%, with other renewable energy sources – including utility-scale solar – supplying the balance (11%). 

Profile of the energy generation capacity by type for the Southeast region, as well as the tropical islands of Hawai’i and Puerto Rico. The region draws a large portion of its energy capacity from natural gas-fired (NG) power plants, with the other half well diversified across other fuels.   The “other” category includes batteries, biofuels, geothermal, or wind, which is not a significant contribution to power generation in the region.   

The U.S. islands have a different energy mix given their climatic and geographic constraints. Petroleum-fired power plants dominate the energy supplied in the islands of Hawai’i and Puerto Rico, in addition to supplying small amounts of electric power in five other states. While the islands are largely reliant on petroleum oil-fired power plants, Hawai’i has committed to fully renewable electricity generation by 2045 and Puerto Rico has committed to a fully renewable portfolio by 2050 (en español), after a study in partnership with the Department of Energy. 

Between 2018 and 2024, the Southeast added 21 GW of net new capacity (6%). New utility-scale solar facilities contributed the most capacity, with 25 GW (a 340% increase from 2018), with natural gas facilities adding an additional 19 GW (11%). Wind power capacity is small compared to other regions, with 400 MW (32% increase from 2018). After the decommissioning of some coal power plants, the capacity of coal-fired generation has decreased by 25 GW (28%), almost entirely offset by the additional solar generation capacity. 

Expected power increases in the Southeast may strain available generation resources. With nationwide power demand predicted to increase 2% in both 2025 and 2026, the Southeast portion of the increase will require more than 15 GW of additional capacity by the end of 2026. If this were to be generated entirely from utility-scale solar power at 2022 prices ($1,588/kW), it would cost $24 billion to construct. From entirely natural gas ($820/kW), the cost would be $12.5 billion, along with an additional $2.4 billion annually for the fuel at $18/MWh.   

In this map, each dot represents a different type of power generation facility in the Southeast, Hawai’i and Puerto Rico, with its full capacity indicated by the size of the circle.  Nuclear power comes from 40 high-capacity generation units across the region, renewable (hydroelectric and solar shown in blue) generation comes from 2,400 smaller-capacity facilities, and natural gas provides the dominant share of regional electricity. Utility-scale electricity generation is not evenly spread across the region: facilities must be connected to the power grid to dispense to customers, and transmission lines must expand to incorporate new capacity to meet increasing demand. 

As power demand increases, we anticipate that the region will continue to rely on a diversified portfolio of sources to meet its power needs. Each new power plant built will contribute to meeting new demand: illustrated below are approximate numbers of buildings that could be powered by a single large solar facility if it were devoted entirely to a single type of building stock. 

But we should not meet this need simply by building more generation facilities. Energy efficiency must be a critical component of the region’s diverse power mix. Continued efforts to expand energy efficiency in commercial, industrial, and residential sectors and added demand flexibility can reduce existing demand and work in tandem with other efforts to meet growing power demands. As the Southeast works to make sure the power supply remains reliable in the face of historic increases in power consumption, energy efficiency must be a critical tool to save energy, reduce demand, and lower costs for residential and business customers. 

By William D. Bryan, Ph.D.

Tax season is fast approaching, and if you have invested in energy efficiency upgrades to your home over the past year you may be eligible for a federal tax credit that can offset some of your costs. The Energy Efficiency Home Improvement Credit, sometimes called the 25(c) credit, provides an annual tax credit of up to $3,200 for qualifying households that have invested in energy efficiency improvements since 2023. This includes up to $1,200 for efficient doors, windows, skylights, insulation, air sealing as well as for home energy audits. It also includes up to $2,000 per year for certain heat pumps, water heaters, or for stoves and/or boilers powered by biomass. Using data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), this Map of the Month explores the impact of these tax credits.  

Since it was expanded in 2023 with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the 25(c) credit has been used by millions of households across the United States. In the South, more than 500,000 residential households claimed this tax credit in 2023, putting almost half a billion dollars back into their pockets – around $904 per household, on average – to offset the costs of making their homes more efficient, more affordable, and safer. Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina had the highest proportion of filers who took advantage of the 25(c) credit, with more than 150,000 households in Florida alone using it to offset home improvement costs. 

Nationally, the most popular uses of the 25(c) credit were to support the costs of air sealing and upgrading insulation, followed by replacing exterior windows and skylights, upgrading central air conditioners, and replacing exterior doors. More than 250,000 households across the nation used this credit to offset the costs of installing an electric or natural gas heat pump water heater, with 100,000 claiming the credit for installing highly efficient heat pump water heaters.  

Although people of all incomes have benefitted from these tax credits, they tend to be used most by households with higher incomes. The majority of claims nationally (38%) were made by filers who made between $100,000 and $200,000 in 2023. Households making under $100,000 made up less than half of the total filers claiming a 25(c) credit (42%). 

The 25(c) tax credit is a critical source of support to help households offset the costs of upgrading the quality of their homes, improving the long-term affordability of their housing. But Southern households lag the rest of the nation in claiming this credit and are leaving money on the table. In 2023, just 1.5% of households in the South reaped the benefits of 25(c), compared to 2.5% nationally. Louisiana, Arkansas, and West Virginia had some of the lowest rates of participation in the entire nation.  

Housing costs are at historic highs, and millions of households in the South could benefit from home renovations that improve comfort and affordability. The 25(c) credit provides a key mechanism to support these upgrades in the region’s existing housing as well as spurring business for the tradespeople that provide home renovation services. So, be sure to file for a 25(c) tax credit if you have qualifying upgrades that improve your home’s comfort and value, if you want to keep more money in your pocket.  

By Laura Diaz-Villaquiran

Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Areas (AIANNHAs). U.S. Department of Energy – Low-Income Energy Affordability Data Tool (LEAD). 

Native American communities in the United States face steep barriers to accessing energy efficiency and clean energy resources, while experiencing disparities in access and reliability of electric service. According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Energy, tribal communities experience higher than average energy costs and burdens, while also having a higher number of unelectrified homes and a greater frequency of power outages. 

December’s map of the month uses data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Low-Income Energy Affordability Data (LEAD) tool to highlight the energy burdens faced by low- and moderate income (LMI) American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian households. The geographies in this map come from the U.S. Census Bureau and include federally recognized tribal lands, state-recognized reservations, off-reservation trust lands, tribal subdivisions, Alaska Native Regional Corporations, and Native Hawaiian home lands. 

Energy burden is a measure used to assess a household’s ability to afford their energy costs and is calculated by dividing a household’s annual energy expenses by their income. Nationally, Native American households face median energy burdens that are 45% higher than that of white (non-Hispanic) counterparts.  

We find that 86% of low- and moderate-income Native American households have high energy burdens, meaning that they pay at least 6% of their income for their energy bills. Out of those households, 50% have energy burdens that are considered severe, which require spending at least 10% of income to cover energy expenses.  

The highest tribal energy burdens are concentrated in Alaska. This is driven by Alaska’s high per capita energy consumption, reliance on diesel-fueled electric generators, and sub-Arctic temperatures. Many rural communities in Alaska are not connected to the Railbelt energy grid and have high-cost utilities resulting from this lack of interconnectivity and the expense of delivered fuels. 

Tribal communities' experiences of energy insecurity are shaped by legacies of colonization, forced displacement, marginalization and federal policies that have contributed to the disparities that exist today.  

Despite energy affordability challenges, Native communities have been at the forefront of the environmental and energy justice movements and are leading the way in shaping a clean energy future, and DOE’s 2023 report notes that federal investments are “having a tangible impact” on improving energy access and reliability. 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs contains a Tribal Energy Projects Database where you can learn more about 221 tribal-led energy projects across the country, with 151 of those focusing on workforce development, weatherization, photovoltaic energy generation, energy efficiency, and the deployment of renewable energy technologies.  

Federally funded projects support indigenous communities' energy sovereignty and climate resilience. Solar installations, for example, help reduce the need for transported fuels to remote locations and protect the residents of tribal lands from rolling utility blackouts.  

Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently deployed unprecedented funding to support clean energy and energy efficiency projects in tribal communities through the Community Change Grant initiative. In the most recent award period, 9 projects in Alaska received upwards of $180 million in funding to support equitable climate solutions. Some of those awardees are: 

• The Kotzebue Tribal Wind project, which will build two tribally owned 1MG wind turbines; 

• The Huslia Village Climate Solutions project, which will provide critical water and sewer infrastructure to the Koyukuk-hotana Athabascan village. The funding for this project will be directed towards weatherizing “16 homes to reduce energy costs,” build 8 new energy efficient homes, and install grid-connected rooftop solar systems in this rural community; 

• The Chenega Bulk Fuel Storage System and Renewable Integration Project, which aims to decrease Chenega’s reliance on diesel fuel through the installation of solar arrays with battery storage. 

By Amy Lovell

Source: United States Energy & Employment Jobs Report (USEER)

Over the past few years, a “Battery Belt” has emerged in the Southeast, where massive investments in clean energy and cleantech production are reviving the region’s manufacturing economy and creating thousands of new jobs. These jobs have rightly been at the forefront of regional and national economic development efforts and planning for the energy transition. What has been less prominent in these discussions is the region’s already-thriving clean energy workforce, which spans a myriad of job types and virtually all parts of the region. 

This month’s map uses data from the United States Energy & Employment Jobs Report (USEER) from 2023 to explore the extent and impact of the clean energy workforce in the Southeast. It illustrates that clean energy is a significant source of jobs in most counties in the region, and calls attention to how diverse these jobs are across sectors and job type.  

Clean energy jobs are an increasingly large portion of the energy workforce nationwide and provide 39% of the energy jobs spread across the Southeast.  87% of counties in the Southeast have a workforce of ten or more jobs in clean energy, which exceeds the national average of 83%. The region’s high-efficiency workforce is the largest and most geographically dispersed in the nation: 73% of counties have a workforce in efficient lighting, energy STAR, high-efficiency heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and advanced materials and insulation. 

Of the 1.2 million non-automotive energy jobs in the Southeast, 474,613 jobs (39%) are in the clean energy workforce categories of 1) non-hydro renewable power generation, 2) electric grid modification, 3) high-efficiency or 4) clean fuels. The 340,000 high-efficiency jobs represent the largest fraction (72%) of this workforce. Nationally, 41% of energy jobs are in these clean energy categories, with 64% in high-efficiency jobs. Renewable energy employs fewer workers (40%) in the Southeast than nationwide (54%), but has been experiencing consistent growth, in part due to significant efficiency and clean energy investments in the region. 

The percentages of the energy workforce in clean energy vary across Southeastern states.  Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee have over half of their energy workforce in clean energy, while Louisiana (17%) and West Virginia (11%) have the lowest fractions. Rural areas and regions with a significant Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) population have the greatest potential for job growth. 

In the fuels workforce, petroleum, natural gas and coal comprise the majority (85%) of workers, with clean fuels including woody biomass and corn ethanol making up a combined 15% of the fuel workforce, comparable to the national average. Georgia (32%), North Carolina (41%), South Carolina (49%), and Tennessee (32%) have the highest portions of the fuel workforce in clean fuels. 

From 2020-2023, solar and wind energy jobs grew from 35% to 40% of the power generation workforce, with North Carolina and Georgia crossing 50% of workers in renewable power generation. In the same period, the national workforce in renewables only grew from 53% to 54%, so the Southeast is realizing some potential for growth for workers in this area.   

Transmission, Distribution, and Storage (TDS) jobs in the Southeast are primarily in traditional TDS, with 11% of this workforce in storage, smart grid, microgrids, and other grid modification work. Tennessee has by far the largest fraction of the TDS workforce in this category, at 26%.  

While the emergence of the “Battery Belt” and transformational investments in clean energy manufacturing are key factors shaping the region’s economy growth, the Southeast has a seasoned and thriving clean energy workforce. Though jobs in renewable energy and clean fuels may be more easily recognized as part of the clean energy workforce, it also includes many jobs improving building efficiency and innovating our electric grid.  This workforce has been expanding more rapidly than in the rest of the nation, and it provides opportunities for people with a range of skillsets living in virtually any community in the region to participate in the clean energy economy.  

By Laura Diaz-Villaquiran

Data: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) EAGLE-I Power Outage Dataset 

** Click on the map image to see the time series.**

In recent years, Puerto Rico has struggled with persistent power outages, and as we find ourselves in the middle of hurricane season, the island’s energy challenges—and resiliency solutions—are more pressing than ever. This month’s map features a time series of blackouts in Puerto Rico during 2022, using the most recent data available.  

The data used for this analysis comes from Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s EAGLE-I  power outage data, which focuses on Puerto Rico’s most populous municipalities. The 2022 data shows that the island experienced persistent energy outages throughout the year, with a spike in power loss following Hurricane Fiona’s landfall on September 18th, 2022. Note that the legend in the map does not indicate the number of people affected, it is the number of electric meters, buildings, or facilities without power.  

Puerto Rico has endured devastating natural disasters, including Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, which led to a collapse of the island’s energy grid. After being impacted by both storms, 80% of the grid was destroyed, seriously affecting the island’s energy generation, distribution, and transmission infrastructure. This was considered the “largest blackout in U.S. history” and the world’s “second largest” blackout.  

In 2020, the island experienced a magnitude 6.4 earthquake which caused further disruptions to the energy grid, damaging Costa Sur, the largest power plant. In June of this year, a blackout during a heat wave left over 350,000 customers without power. Puerto Rico’s grid instability is of serious concern as it threatens the health and safety of its residents and puts a strain on critical services.  

According to the EIA, Puerto Rico imports the majority of the energy that it consumes and relies on 94% of fossil fuels to generate most of the island’s electricity. This reliance on imports and non-renewable energy makes it so that Puerto Ricans pay some of the highest energy prices in the U.S. 

Despite the ongoing challenges with Puerto Rico’s power grid, the island’s favorable conditions for solar, wind, and geothermal energy provide promising opportunities for building a more resilient and sustainable energy system. Some of the proposed pathways for leveraging climate resilience, emergency preparedness, and energy security in Puerto Rico include: 

• Puerto Rico’s Energy Resilience Fund – The U.S. Department of Energy has committed $325 million in funding opportunities to support Puerto Rico’s energy grid modernization and clean energy transformation.  

• Energy grid transformation – One of the key priorities of the Puerto Rican government’s energy policy is to move toward 100% renewable energy by 2050 and reduce the island’s dependence on fuel imports. This initiative is outlined in Ley 17-2019, also known as the “Ley de Política Pública Energética de Puerto Rico.” 

• Increased Demand response capability: conducting targeted load shedding which would allow for load monitoring during emergencies. 

• Solar powered microgrids: Solar microgrids and battery storage projects are underway. Microgrids are localized energy generation systems that operate independently from the main power grid and can provide electricity during a grid failure.  

• Solar for All: The federal government has allocated funding for subsidized solar for low-median-income households. To learn more visit: U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Access Program.  

These policy priorities aim to decrease Puerto Rico’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, leverage emergency preparedness, and enhance energy affordability. SEEA is committed to working with Puerto Rico in leveraging local capacity to support these and other efforts to enhance the resilience of the island’s energy infrastructure. 

By: Hanka Kirby

Source: LIHEAP Data Warehouse

States in the Southeast have some of the highest rates of energy insecurity in the country, as we noted in a previous post. Because of this, energy assistance and weatherization programs available from local, state, federal, and utility sources are critical sources of support for thousands of households in the region who struggle to pay their energy bills.  

One of the most vital programs is the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which since 1981 has provided financial assistance for low-income households to help prevent utility disconnections and assist with heating and cooling homes. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA), nearly one-third of LIHEAP-eligible households reported forgoing food to pay their utility bills, 40% had sacrificed medical care, and one-fourth had someone fall ill because their home was too cold. To meet these critical needs, LIHEAP provides a range of support, including financial help for heating, cooling, crisis, and weatherization assistance, in addition to other services that reduce energy burden.  

This month’s maps use data from the LIHEAP Data Warehouse to shed light on the scope and impact of LIHEAP assistance in the Southeast. Through LIHEAP, HHS makes grants to states, tribes, and territories that are typically administered through local community action agencies. However, the need far exceeds the resources available and local agencies often must make difficult decisions about how to distribute funds. 

As the map shows, LIHEAP reached 15% of eligible households in the Southeast on average. This ranges from Arkansas and Kentucky, which served 22% and 23% of their qualified households, respectively, to Florida, which served 7% of the eligible population. Variation in state aid sheds light on the difficult policy tradeoff between “maximizing the number of households that receive funding and maximizing the level of benefits each household receives.”  

LIHEAP gives flexibility to grantees, allowing states to decide how to allocate funds. While some states like Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina opt to provide a higher level of benefit, others, including Arkansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina, provide lower benefit levels but reach a greater proportion of eligible households. One study found that LIHEAP tends to benefit “marginally energy insecure households more than severely energy insecure,” though this may also be because households with more resources can more easily navigate assistance applications. While the variation between states can make it difficult to draw universal conclusions about LIHEAP, the flexible nature of the program allows each state to tailor its approach to its specific needs.  

What is clear is that there have been real benefits for the households that were served. In FY23, the most recent data available, 1.2 million households in the South received some form of LIHEAP assistance. The loss of power due to a utility disconnection was averted or resolved more than 3.2 million times. In the Southeast, participating households had a 6% reduction in energy burden on average, with South Carolina and Mississippi having an average energy burden reduction of 10%. This support helps reduce energy insecurity, prevent dangerous health impacts, and promote resiliency for millions of families.  

Perhaps the largest reason for the small percentage of eligible households reached is simply the level of program funding. As energy costs rise, so have the number of people who struggle to pay their utility bills. Existing LIHEAP funding cannot keep up with demand. Many states and community action agencies have focused assistance on the most vulnerable households: those with seniors, disabilities, and children under the age of five. 

The program works, yet a substantial portion of the eligible population cannot be reached without expanded funding. LIHEAP provides life-critical heating and cooling support. It protects those most susceptible to extreme heat and cold, prevents dangerous health impacts, and promotes resiliency. As energy costs and extreme weather events rise, it is critical to recognize how year-round heating and cooling assistance become increasingly necessary, and how LIHEAP can work in concert with weatherization assistance to support vulnerable communities.  

By  Laura Diaz-Villaquiran

The United States needs more housing. The Pew Charitable Trusts estimates that the nation needs between 4 and 7 million new homes to keep up with demand. This shortage has driven up home prices and made it more difficult for new buyers to enter the market. 

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Building Permits Survey, this month’s map examines the rate of change in building permits issued for the construction of new housing units across the Southeast over the last five years to understand where residential building activity has been heating up. Counties in blue have experienced increases in residential construction activity, while counties in red have experienced declines in the number of permits pulled between 2018 and 2023.  

Not surprisingly, the region’s metropolitan areas have experienced the highest levels of growth, but not all metro areas have benefitted equally. Metropolitan areas and counties that are on the periphery of cities, particularly in Florida, have had some of the largest spikes in construction activity. This includes Polk County, Brevard County, Okaloosa County, and Pasco County. In most of these counties, the number of permits pulled in 2023 was more than double that in 2018.  

Other cities have also experienced substantial increases in residential construction activity, including Madison County, AL (Huntsville), Brunswick County, NC (Wilmington), and Iredell County, NC (Statesville). Counties in the Atlanta metro area—other than Gwinnett County—have had steady or declining building activity, a trend that is mirrored in cities like Birmingham and Memphis. 

Trends in residential construction are good indicators of economic investment and population growth in the region. Because new housing units must comply with the most recent building energy codes in most states, new construction can also make the housing stock more efficient through household-level reductions in energy consumption. It can also contribute to improved indoor air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and reductions in overall electric load for utility providers, when paired with other policies and programs. These are long-term benefits, as new housing units today are expected to last at least a generation.  

Despite the benefits of new construction, a series of residential energy code field studies funded by the U.S. Department of Energy find gaps in compliance with established energy codes across the United States in the new housing stock. These studies underline that the cascading efficiency benefits of new housing will depend on ensuring that builders and code officials across the region have the resources needed to build to code, particularly in areas that are experiencing large spikes in construction activity. 

SEEA provides research, technical assistance, and other services to stakeholders throughout the South to close code compliance gaps. SEEA has carried out residential energy code field studies in Arkansas, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee, and has field studies ongoing in Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana. SEEA also provides technical assistance to builders and code officials across eight states through our Energy Code Circuit Rider Program. Finally, SEEA is carrying out research in Atlanta and Savannah to understand the impacts of historic disinvestment on building performance and support efforts to ensure that building policies are equitable and effective. Through each of these measures, we work to support the implementation of building energy codes to ensure that residents of new homes can take full advantage of the many benefits of energy efficiency.