Energy for all: Energy Equity and Justice in Power Systems [Guest Editorial]

Research around equity AND justice in power systems started after the oil embargo in the 1970s, motivated by the social impact of the unprecedented rise in energy prices in the Western world. During the following two decades, a body of scientific literature focused on different aspects of energy affordability and its social implications, in particular for low-income consumers. For the first time, electricity was recognized for its social functions, and ensuring that all segments of the population could afford electricity became a goal of modern power systems. The affordability goal soon led to important transformations in power systems, economics, and regulation, including the widespread implementation of efficient mechanisms for electricity price formation (e.g., wholesale markets) and the design of energy efficiency programs, the adoption of new tariff structures, and the introduction of new policy and regulatory initiatives to support and protect vulnerable consumers.