AMSTAT Consulting conducted a community needs assessment for a regional agency concerned about barriers to residential electrification. The client lacked precise data on how households perceived gas transition risks, costs, and equipment access. The firm held eight multilingual focus groups and conducted 31 stakeholder interviews.

Analysts coded interview and focus group transcripts to identify emotional, cultural, and practical themes. AMSTAT Consulting’s staff discovered that many residents associated gas with reliability, tradition, and safety—even when replacement costs were covered. Rural respondents worried about unreliable electric grids and repair wait times. In urban zones, respondents cited split incentives in rental housing and distrust of contractors. The team had to address data gaps caused by low response rates in Spanish and Mixteco. It corrected for this by hiring local facilitators and offering oral interviews.

The project produced readiness indicators, emotional barriers typologies, and multilingual equity tools for electrification outreach. The client embedded a cost calculator into its rebate platform and added rental-specific pathways. Program staff updated messaging to clarify grid reliability and pre-screened contractors for community trust.

Policymakers cited the study at a citywide electrification hearing to support renter-specific and multilingual program revisions. Local partners used the findings to secure grants for appliance fairs and contractor education events. Program inquiries increased 41%, and the redesigned pilot supported community-informed electrification. The project informed real-time tool updates, policy hearings, and state-funded pilot redesigns, advancing state electrification goals.