Historic redlining has enduring impact on power plant siting

A new study connects present-day emissions burdens with historic discrimination in the U.S. housing market more than 80 years ago.

Between the lines: It’s no secret that environmental health hazards aren’t equally distributed, with Americans of color disproportionately exposed to air pollution, but the mechanisms fueling some of these systemic inequities are typically less quantified.

Driving the news: A study published Thursday in the journal Nature Energy measures the influence of redlining, a discriminatory housing practice, on fossil fuel power plant siting across the U.S. since 1940. Read more about JPB Fellow Lara Cushing’s research.