New York Public Benefit Funds for Energy Efficiency

Since 1998 most low-income energy efficiency programs have been funded through a systems benefits charge (SBC) on electricity bills and administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The SBC program, known as New York Energy $mart SM, now in its third funding cycle, from July 2006 - June 2011, provides efficiency programs for all customer classes, including low-income homeowners and renters.  More funding for energy efficiency has come through a new initiative called the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS), created in 2008 and also mostly administered by NYSERDA.  In 2010, about $13.2 million in SBC and EEPS funding went to EmPower New York, an energy efficiency program coordinated with the federal WAP and targeted to low-income households below 60 percent of SMI who are enrolled in utility payment assistance programs.

Other SBC and EEPS-funded low-income programs are targeted to households with incomes up to 80 percent of SMI and they also provide outreach, education, marketing, training and financial incentives to households as well as to builders and developers of low-income single- and multi-family housing. Funds budgeted for low-income multifamily programs amounted to $14.6 million in 2010.

Note: Leveraging reports do not always give a complete statewide picture. Some resources are not reported through leveraging or are under reported.

LEVERAGING

2007: $9.3 million
2006: $11.7 million
2005: $3.7 million
2004: $3.1 million
2003: $2 million
2002: $4.9 million