Study: Energy Effort Paying Off
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA report commissioned by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission suggests a statewide energy efficiency initiative's efforts have returned as much as three dollars in benefits for each dollar spent from 2012-2013. Energizing Indiana's programs are set to wrap up by the end of the year. Several Indiana utilities have rolled out proposals to replace the initiative, but Citizens Action Coalition Executive Director Kerwin Olson believes those efforts will result in significantly less in savings for individuals and businesses.
August 19, 2014
News release
Indianapolis, Ind. — On August 15th, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) submitted the Demand Side Management (DSM) Report to the Indiana General Assembly. The report, completed by The Energy Center of Wisconsin, was filed pursuant to the highly-controversial Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 340 which will end the Energizing Indiana programs by the end of 2014.
“The report all but confirms that the passage of SEA340 and the ultimate cancellation of Energizing Indiana was a shortsighted decision and a monumental mistake that will cost ratepayers more money in the long run. This is in addition to the thousands of Hoosiers likely to lose their jobs as a result of the legislation,” stated Kerwin Olson, Executive Director of CAC. “If SEA340 was indeed a 'pause' to evaluate the programs, then we ask our elected officials to hold true to their promise and reinstate the programs during the 2015 session.”
Highlights of the report include:
• The report states on page 5: “The Core programs provided positive net benefits for the Hoosier state. In the aggregate, these programs returned as much as $3.00 in benefits for each dollar spent from 2012 through 2013. The Core program for commercial and industrial customers provided the most benefits—as much as $5.49 for each dollar spent.”
• On page 21, the report noted that in future years when energy efficiency savings may be more difficult to find, that “…programs are expected to produce overall positive net benefits to Indiana through 2019…programs are expected to return $1.65 in benefits for every $1.00 spent [on average, from 2015-2019].”
• On page 23, the report points out that “So if the objective is to keep utility bills low, efficiency programs are essential.”
The IURC will present the report to the Interim Study Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications on September 2nd. The complete IURC report is attached and can also be found at: http://www.in.gov/iurc/files/DSM_Report_to_General_Assembly_w_Cover_Letter_8-15-2014(1).pdf
Source: Citizens Action Coalition