Innovation team proposes data-driven plan to tackle energy-bill affordability in Nashville

The mayor's Innovation Team on Wednesday presented a data-driven, resident-centered plan aimed at reducing residential energy-bill burdens in Nashville, telling the Sustainability Advisory Committee the team will move from design research into ideation and prototyping this year.

Robert, who introduced the team, said the group settled on "energy bill affordability, which we know is a major growing issue in the Nashville area," and described a target strategy focused on historically disinvested areas including Bordeaux, North Nashville and Antioch. "Primary objective for our work right now is all about helping the city take bold local action to create cleaner, greener, more economically thriving communities," he said.

Omar Ahmed, the team's data analytics manager, described a six-variable "energy impact index" used to pinpoint tracts with high severe energy burden (defined as households spending at least 10% of income on energy). The index combines demographic and housing indicators, including renter status, poverty, single-parent households, vehicle access, housing cost burden and racial composition. Omar said the team ran roughly "27 to 28 analyses" and produced community profiles to guide outreach.

Lisonbee, who presented qualitative findings from resident interviews and surveys, said the research found inefficient housing rather than resident behavior to be the primary driver of high energy costs. "We really found that...63 percent of those interviewed residents put effort into reducing their energy use and lowering their energy costs," she said, adding that many residents face painful trade-offs — foregoing food, transportation or health needs — to pay energy bills. She also reported that "47% of residents were aware that energy efficiency programming exists," but that many who hear about programs are ineligible, creating distrust.

The team outlined next steps: continued design research, an ideation phase through February, and prototyping in spring into early summer. Robert said the group expects to narrow a long list of ideas into a top-10 portfolio that will be pressure-tested with residents and subject-matter experts. He warned that the team has no dedicated implementation dollars and will seek philanthropic or local funder partnerships to pilot concepts.

Committee members pressed for clarity on whether the recommendations would include policy or legislative options; Robert said both policy and programmatic items would likely appear on the menu but acknowledged that some items will be harder to implement due to resource constraints. Kendra said the mayor's office and BCPI advisers are discussing ways to institutionalize the team's tools and processes within Metro departments once the grant ends.

Several members offered to help with outreach and funding connections. The team said it would share appendix slides and community profiles and return for updates; Kendra said she plans to prepare recommendations for the mayor and may circulate a preview or after-action summary before the committee's next meeting.

The presentation combined quantitative mapping and resident stories to prioritize neighborhoods for engagement and to design interventions that emphasize structural home improvements, program accessibility and potential policy adjustments rather than focusing solely on behavioral change.