Who is ‘way, way behind in terms of energy efficiency?’

Ohio’s energy efficiency programs are among the worst according to the Utility Energy Efficiency Scorecard. “On the other hand, frankly, Kansas is way, way behind in terms of energy efficiency…” said David Nickel, consumer counsel for the Consumer Utility Ratepayer Board in Kansas.  Kansas ranked 49^th nationwide for energy efficiency policies and programs.  A few years ago, Duke Ohio was 18^th but now AEP and Duke have tied for 49^th out of 53 states. 

“House Bill 6 ended energy efficiency requirements, which hampers our ability to offer programs to customers. AEP Ohio had implemented many successful energy efficiency programs prior to this change in state law,” said AEP spokesman Scott Blake said.

To tackle the challenges presented by the elimination of programs and the adoption of new legislation, The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) promotes efficiency across all sectors of the U.S. economy.  Partnerships strengthen key actors for new initiatives.  Despite fluctuating scores from various utilities, Duke Energy’s Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program partnered with Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) to save the school $22,000.  “Energy efficiency is extremely important to Duke Energy because it creates a more resilient power grid and reduces energy waste,” said Cameron Woodard, Senior Products and Services Manager at Duke Energy. “As we continue our path towards a more sustainable university, I want to emphasize the importance of energy efficiency. It helps us reduce energy waste, create a more resilient power grid, and align with our goal of producing clean energy. I am proud to work alongside Duke Energy and our students in this endeavor. I am excited to see these upgrades’ positive impact on our campus,” said SAU President Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail.

Evergy, in Kansas, will soon regain access to better energy efficiency tools, resources and services.  Last week, the Kansas Corporation Commission approved a set of programs for Evergy that will include free energy assessments, free upgrades for rural and low-income households, rebates for HVAC systems, and other incentives for households and businesses. 

“Our customers have expressed interest in energy efficiency, and we have proposed to offer a new menu of voluntary programs in our Electric Security Plan currently under consideration by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. They would need to approve those programs in order for us to offer them to customers,” said Blake.

According to the Utility Energy Efficiency Scorecard,  how did your state rank and what is your utility doing to keep efficiency programs afloat?