What is the traditional definition of energy security?

Reliable national access to energy supply, often framed at the nation-state scale and focused on cross-border fuel supply.

How has energy security been expanded conceptually?

It now includes households, infrastructure resilience, extreme event preparedness, and social/ethical dimensions.

What are the 4 A's of energy security?

Availability, Affordability, Accessibility, Acceptability.

Define water security.

Reliable access to safe, affordable, accessible, acceptable, and non-discriminatory water.

What is equity?

Allocating resources based on need.

What is equality?

Giving everyone the same resources regardless of need.

Define energy insecurity.

A multidimensional condition where households struggle to meet energy needs due to structural housing issues, rising costs, and unsafe coping behaviors.

What are the three drivers of energy insecurity?

1. Poor housing conditions (structural) 2. Rising energy costs (rising costs of utilities, rising gas prices, how they are generating electricity) 3. Unsafe behavioral responses ('heat or eat').

What is energy burden?

Percentage of household income spent on energy costs.

How do you calculate energy burden and what are the pros and cons?

(Monthly utility cost ÷ Monthly income) × 100 Pros: Simple Cons: Doesn’t capture housing quality Misses coping behaviors Doesn’t show whether bills are unpaid Median values can hide inequality

What is AR20?

A water affordability metric evaluating whether water is affordable for households under the federal poverty line and minimum wage earners.

What is cost-of-service regulation?

A regulatory model where utilities recover operating costs plus capital costs with an allowed rate of return.

What is the revenue requirement formula?

Revenue = Operating Costs + (Capital Costs × (1 + Rate of Return))

What is the typical allowed rate of return?

Around 10-10.8%

What are examples of operating costs?

Fuel, salaries, maintenance, training, HQ costs.

What are examples of capital costs?

Power plants, substations, wires, poles, transformers, vehicles.

What are examples of harmful water contaminants?

PFAS, E. coli, heavy metals (lead), DBPs, fluoride, pharmaceuticals, microplastics.

Define qualitative research.

Non-numerical research focused on experiences and meanings (interviews, photovoice). Helps understand why and how it happened

Define quantitative research.

Numerical research using statistical analysis and large datasets. Helps understand where energy insecurity exists.

Define mixed methods.

Combines qualitative and quantitative methods. Reveals data inaccuracies, and what residents underreport. Exposes hidden vulnerabilities in peri urban populations

What is the purpose of a literature review?

Identify what is known, gaps in knowledge, and justify research.

Why is infrastructure not equal to security?

Because households may still face affordability, access, and quality barriers despite system-level infrastructure.

Attention is

"limited by national data sets that lack the necessary granularity to comprehensively document household conditions: housing quality, heating and air conditioning access, energy expenditures, and behavioral practices" (often miss areas)

What is missing in Energy Insecurity Data?

underserved peri-urban communities with prefabricated housing, mobile homes, and recreational vehicles (areas with warehouses and residential homes mixed in, not regular/traditional neighborhoods)

Why use mixed methods?

Assess relationship between energy insecurity dimensions, Distinguish between chronic and acute, provides more comprehensive evidence, richer perspective

What are the components of Physical energy insecurity index?

Central hvac presence Structure Type Structure Age Monetary value

Potential harm of water quality?

Fluoride PFAS E. coli DPB's Microplastics TSS Heavy metals PHARMA's

What things would go into operating costs?

Variable costs Employee salaries Own energy Maintenance Fuel HQ Training

What things would go into capital costs?

Infrastructure (generally fixed costs) Power plants Vehicles Wires, poles Meters Transformer Substations

What are the affordability metrics?

Is it an affordable percent of income going towards utilities for low income, median income households

What increases rates?

Infrastructure expansion Grid modernization Storm hardening New generation facilities Data center load growth (big one right now)

Why might a company use incentives?

Because utilities earn profit on capital investments, not operating costs, they may prefer infrastructure expansion over efficiency improvements.

What are the six myths from Meehan et al.’s (2020) six myths of water security in high income countries?

Water access is universal Water is clean Water is affordable Water delivery is trustworthy Water is uniformly governed Modern water is the best water