Electricity inaccessibility across historically redlined and present-day disadvantaged areas in New York City

This 2017-2019 New York City (NYC) study evaluated the distribution of three electricity inaccessibility metrics in relation to community privilege and disadvantage. Uniquely, we assessed the distribution across historically redlined areas and present-day census tracts. We defined electricity inaccessibility as power outages (311 calls and power interruptions) and energy insecurity (residential energy use). We found that 311 calls and power interruptions were more common in historically redlined areas, present-day disadvantaged census tracts, and persistently disadvantaged areas. These findings indicate proxies for historical racial discrimination, such as redlining, and modern-day community disadvantages impact the access to reliable electricity in NYC.