The summer of 2021 was one of the harshest and most extreme weather yet to hit the Pacific Northwest, causing record-breaking temperatures across cities like Portland, Oregon, and Quillayute, Washington. As the sun peaking through the clouds and the ground reflecting rays in the afternoon, residents alike were left in the dark. In Washington, the sudden heat waves mixed with severe heatwaves had already set airplane Circuit Breakers, fuel spills, and the death of 125 people who were unable to access AC and died from illnesses ranging from strokes to heart attacks. This was the deadliest weather event in state history, setting asolveness record.
In a letter to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, officials noted the disproportionate impact of the heatwave on low-income andhous populations who could not access AC during the winter months. They realized that the energy assistance program, the LiHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), would not adequately address the needs of those groups for the summer months. To make a real difference, they needed to change the program’s approach to include winter heating costs, shifting the burden from winter to summer. The recipient states.*
Years later, Congress Appropriated $4.1 billion for the program in an effort to ensure adequate support for low-income families experiencing extreme heat. However, this funding was found to be insufficient twice: once in a single year, when only 90% of the funds were distributed to states, and again in an even broader context. TEMPORARY funding was approved and implemented, but it was inadequate for many, limiting savings for the summer months.
By April 2022, HHS had issued 10,000 layoffs, including approximately 100 employees responsible for running LiHEAP. This was a heavy toll on the workforce, who had worked tirelessly to improve access to energy and reduce reliance on AC during difficult winter months. The program’s staff was a living document, understanding the flexible options it provided to help those most need it. One former employee shared how the program was seen as a tool for transforming struggling households but at the same time, a breath of freshair for families seeking a bit of solace.*
As the year ended, the department was still bicyclic yetیرring with 10% of grants never being fully realized, leaving families in need of financial stability under extreme heat. In Phoenix, temperatures reached 100 degrees, a new benchmark that many cities followed. Police reported the first 100-degree wake on a single day, a sight that would not soon be forgotten. The Franco family from Arizona, who had lost their children to the program, noted that their children were never able to access electricity or opt for energy efficiency upgrades during the winter.
Despite the ongoing challenges, many in the U.S., proud and determined, aimed to rebuild the state’s power grid. As the summer drawedsome, theLiHEAP story reminds us of a phenomenon that is almost always short on resources. The program remains as vital a place as ever, but its ability to function as effectively as it once did is a story that will be told for years to come.
