As the climate crisis continues to accelerate, previously unengaged utility customers will need to make behavioral changes in order to prevent unnecessary deaths and illnesses. Perhaps the most vulnerable customers are those living in assisted living and nursing home facilities. Tenants in affordable multifamily (MF) housing are also vulnerable since they have little control over their home’s resiliency. This session presents a detailed analysis of the vulnerability of these property types in one of the largest utilities in California. The analysis includes a comparison of properties in electric distribution circuits that had the most Public Safety Power Shutoff events in 2020 versus the rest of the MF properties in the utility service territory. The comparisons include:

• energy-use intensity (kBTU/sqft)
• building energy benchmark score
• building envelope efficiency
• the share of income qualified tenants
• building age
• rent burdens
• property manager and landlord attributes
• and other energy and property attributes

These high shutoff areas are in regions that will accelerate customer adaptation to shutoffs with battery storage, distributed generation, emergency heating and cooling facilities, and other investments. The session findings include suggested program design and implementation elements for engaging these vulnerable customers and enrolling them in programs to improve their properties’ resiliency.

Additional authors: Bethany Kwoka PSE Healthy Energy