Power and Equity: Advancing Energy Justice for People with Disabilities

The growing number of children with special needs presents a serious challenge not only to health, education, but also to other sectors. Current research on the energy justice for disabled population is limited. Given the increasing frequency of storms exacerbated by climate change and the vulnerabilities of aging infrastructure leading to power outages, disabled people are disproportionately susceptible to the impacts of climate change. Additionally, this population allocates a greater proportion of their income to energy consumption compared to non-disabled individuals, highlighting intersecting systemic inequalities. This article examines the relationship between energy poverty and disability based on available research papers. The objective of this study is to furnish policymakers, communities, and individuals with inclusive perspectives for the future energy sector and to advocate for the strengthening and utilization of disability data by researchers. Furthermore, this review examines the gaps between the vision for energy justice and its practical realities, concluding with a call for inclusive just transition.

Join us on December 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST for this virtual webinar.

Register Now

Presenter Biography:

Padmini Kamalakumar, CEM , is an energy enthusiast based in Fort Worth,Texas. She is a freelance energy engineer contributing to energy efficiency projects. She has a decade of research experience on energy in India. She started her energy career with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, a heavy electrical equipment industry where she researched boiler controls and instrumentation.

With her interests in renewable energy, she moved to India’s Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar (SSN) Research center in 2008. She was a key person in building a Solar PV power plant in SSN Institutions campus, which was one of the pioneer solar PV power plants of south India. Her main interest was to build an artificial intelligence-based tracker for concentrated solar power. She was an Energy auditor in India. She got in touch with Petroleum Conservation Research Association, India to put forward energy efficiency in the hospitality sector. After moving to the U.S., she became an AEE member.