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On average, households nationally pay about 4.1% of their income on energy (gas and electricity) bills. As of 2019, Gainesville’s average energy burden is 4.5% in 2019, .4% higher than the national average.
However, the energy burden is not distributed evenly across neighborhoods. When energy burden is mapped across the city, data shows that it disproportionately impacts residents in the Northern and Central portions of the city.
Charlotte is currently the 12th most energy burdened city out of the Climate Challenge cities. Across the city, Charlotte's average energy burden is 3.9% as of 2019, 1.08 times the national average. When energy burden is mapped across the city by neighborhood, the data shows that energy burden disproportionately impacts residents in the northern inner portions of the city.
Seattle is currently the 23rd most energy burdened city out of the Climate Challenge cities. Across the city, Seattle’s average energy burden is 2.6% as of 2019, 0.7 times the national average. When energy burden is mapped across the city by neighborhood, the data shows that energy burden disproportionately impacts residents throughout scattered portions of the city.
Community of Practice Workshops
The Community of Practice came to a natural close in 2025, though its legacy lives on through an archive of past sessions and a vibrant network of changemakers.
For years, this space brought together community-based leaders and city staff using the GEM platform — all committed to exploring how data and mapping can advance climate equity and environmental justice.
Each month, participants gathered to learn, share resources, and build relationships, fostering collaboration between the communities most harmed by climate change and local governments working towards equitable climate and energy solutions.
While the regular gatherings have ended, the connections, momentum, and shared purpose continue. We invite you to stay connected. Watch past recordings, explore our GEM Process Guide (below), and continue asking questions, sharing insights, and building together. And don’t hesitate reaching out to us.
We are never alone in this work.
Warmly,
Greenlink Analytics Community Team
Participatory Mapping
November 21, 2024
Angelica Chavez Duckworth, Greenlink Analytics
Samantha Houck, Greenlink Analytics
As we welcome Indigenous People’s month and reflect on gratitude with loved ones, we at Greenlink Analytics are excited to bring you our final Community of Practice for 2024 year!
In this engaging session, we’ll dive into what Participatory Mapping is and share the process our Community Team uses each year to update our Greenlink Equity Map (GEM). We call this process "Listening Tours"—a feedback loop with leaders across the country that informs and guides our efforts in addressing data gaps and ensuring that GEM remains relevant. By the end of this session, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how participatory mapping shapes our work and why it's crucial for advancing Energy Justice and Environmental Justice.
This session will be led by Greenlink’s Angelica Chavez Duckworth, Director of Community Initiatives, with support from Samantha Houck, Community Program Manager. Angelica will walk us through the process and share insights, followed by a Q&A session with Samantha.
The Importance of Keeping Data Current
September 26, 2024
Samantha Houck, Community Program Manager, Greenlink Analytics
Sharanya Madhavan, Data Scientist, Greenlink Analytics
Fall is here and we kicked it off by hosting our Community of Practice on the importance of data updates on September 26th, at 1pm EST/10am PST!
Join us for an engaging session where we dive into the latest data update—2019 to 2021 data—for the Greenlink Equity Map (GEM). You’ll be amazed by what’s changed in just a couple of years! This session is led by Greenlink’s Sharanya Madhavan, Data Scientist, and Samantha Houck, Community Program Manager. They share insights on what the new update looks like in GEM, and why refreshing the data is so important for our work in pursuing energy and environmental justice for all.
Summer GEM Demo and Office Hours
July 25, 2024
Samantha Houck, Greenlink Analytics
Join Greenlink for an engaging session where we’ll dive into what you’ve been working on lately. Whether you’re new to our Greenlink Equity Map (GEM), or could use a refresher, this session features a comprehensive demo. We’ll explore the tool’s functionalities, its unique features compared to others, and the resources available to your team through GEM membership. Plus, we’ll introduce our new self-onboarding feature that streamlines your experience.
Join Greenlink Analytics as we share this tool and discuss how it can enhance your work streams and relationships within community-government contexts.