A household’s high energy bills are more than just a heating and cooling problem; they can force low-income households to choose between paying for utilities, groceries or medicine. Studies demonstrate that difficulty covering energy and food costs are often intertwined.

This month, our map is influenced by Earth Month, an initiative to raise awareness of global environmental challenges and to increase support for environmental protections and initiatives.

This map highlights the rapid increase of development in one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S., the Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area.

In honor of Women’s History Month, our March map pays tribute to Mária Telkes, a Hungarian-American scientist whose contributions to the field of solar energy research earned her the nickname “The Sun Queen.” Telkes is best remembered for her invention of the solar distiller