Energy Efficiency

Picture this: It's Friday night; you and your closest friends are getting together at your place. As the host, you decide to provide the libations for your event. While picking up that cold six-pack of beer, you notice a sign on the freezer door that explains that the price of your six-pack has been reduced due to the recent implementation of commercial refrigeration retrofits. You think to yourself, “great, cheap beer, but what is a commercial refrigeration retrofit and what does that have to do with reduced prices?”

UPDATE: On January 25, 2016, the Supreme Court voted to reverse and remand the lower court's decision, reaffirming FERC's jurisdiction over compensation levels for demand response in wholesale markets.

In this edition, we cover three of the most notable policy developments in the region, including a shakeup at the Maryland Energy Administration, recent news from New York, and signals from Massachusetts that energy efficiency will remain a first order resource. We then close with a brief summary of the EPA’s new air quality rule, and why it matters for energy efficiency. 

The joint energy efficiency program administrators (PAs) and the stakeholder Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC) have delivered another landmark statewide plan for Massachusetts. The final plan is being sent to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) for approval on October 30, passed by the Council with overwhelming support.

Massachusetts, you’ve done it again! Today, the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy (ACEEE) announced that it has selected the Bay State as the most energy efficient in the nation – this marks the fifth year Massachusetts has topped the charts for national energy efficiency policy and practice.

We buy clothes, books, and airplane tickets online. We virtually hail taxis, bank, and make international phone calls. We share photos of cats and start viral revolutions with bytes of data. Energy efficiency may be fashionably late to this e-party, but with strong partnerships and a focus on customer convenience, the movement is underway to transform how this least-cost resource is captured online.

So how are shoppers discovering energy efficient products online?

“We do not have to wait for an international treaty or new regulations to act,” proclaims Joe Kaiser of Siemen’s Energy as he refers to the responsibility on industry’s shoulders to manage energy with an eye to the future. Siemens, an employer to 340,000, is setting a powerful example for businesses, taking control of its energy use through energy efficiency, meticulous energy management practices, and distributed generation. An example many are eager to follow.

This post was submitted by The Holderness School, a 2015 Business Leader Champion for energy efficiency. It was authored by Hillary Beach, assistant director for communications.

Hab-it (noun)- a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

Somewhere at the intersection of technological innovations, policy debates, and utility regulation lies the subject of energy efficiency.  To help tackle such an interdisciplinary field, NEEP’s policy team was fortunate enough to welcome a fledgling engineer into our midst for an internship during the spring of 2015.

The energy policy world was abuzz during early 2015 over the potential impact of a landmark proceeding at the New York State Public Service Commission.  Utilities, State Utility Commissions, consumer advocates, and others were awaiting a key order in New York State’s “Reforming the Energy Vision.”  On February 26, 2015, the New York State Public Service Commission delivered their long awaited order adopting a regulatory Policy Framework and Implementation Plan.