New Metrics for Measuring Energy Affordability, with Destenie Nock

In this episode, Destenie Nock, an associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, joins host Daniel Raimi to discuss measures utilities and policymakers can take to better capture energy-accessibility and affordability metrics. Whereas energy data is often specific to energy providers, Nock argues that evaluating energy at a household level enables a more holistic understanding of energy usage and the energy transition. With electricity rates on the rise, accurate energy consumption data is central to ensuring comfortable temperatures in more homes. Progress in energy affordability, Nock notes, requires a multifaceted policy approach that integrates energy-equity and wellbeing metrics into measures of success. Energy affordability is not a standalone problem, and decisionmakers must recognize its ties with other cost-of-living issues and the need for inclusive data to effectively address energy burdens. References and recommendations: “Justice as a Measure of Energy Transition Success” by Destenie Nock; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-025-01870-1 “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond; https://evictedbook.com/ “Unveiling Hidden Energy Poverty, with Destenie Nock” from Resources Radio; www.resources.org/resources-radio/unveiling-hidden-energy-poverty-with-destenie-nock/ Subscribe to stay up to date on podcast episodes, news, and research from Resources for the Future: https://www.rff.org/subscribe/