The Human Costs of American Energy in Transition

Energy Policy Now host Andy Stone moderates a discussion with energy scholars Sanya Carley and David Konisky about their new book release, “Power Lines”. Power Lines is a sweeping portrait of American energy in the twenty-first century, rendered in terms of its increasing—and inevitable—human costs.

This discussion examines the human-centered challenges of America’s energy transition, highlighting how aging infrastructure and unequal access to clean technologies perpetuate divides across race, class, and wealth. It considers the disproportionate burdens faced by displaced workers, marginalized households, and communities in “sacrifice zones,” while stressing that past inequities and policy missteps must inform future strategies to ensure the clean energy shift is rooted in justice, equity, and community resilience.