Abstract
The prevalence of energy insecurity in the United States is well documented in scholarly and policy literature. However, few studies evaluate a comprehensive range of responses to this complex challenge, including policies or actions that different entities—government institutions, private sector companies and non-profit agencies—can use to address energy insecurity. In this Perspective, we present levers, or opportunities, that electricity sector actors have at their disposal, including both direct and systemic measures. We focus on federal, state and local governments, utility companies, regional transmission organizations and non-governmental organizations, such as community-based organizations and non-profits. After discussing a range of levers for each actor, we consider their interactions, identifying cross-jurisdictional and cross-sectoral strategies to reduce the prevalence and impacts of energy insecurity and enhance affordability. We argue that the most effective approach to mitigating energy insecurity will be a thoughtful and deliberate combination of a range of levers and their corresponding actors.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through the RTO Governance Research Network, as well as the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, for generously funding our project. We also thank G. Chan at the University of Minnesota for feedback on a draft of the article.
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A.L.K., S.C., A.B.K., S.W. and D.M.K. contributed to conceptualization of the manuscript. A.L.K., S.C., A.B.K., S.W. and D.M.K. contributed to writing and editing the manuscript.
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Knasin, A.L., Carley, S., Klass, A.B. et al. Levers to address energy insecurity in the United States. Nat Energy (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01959-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-025-01959-7
