The New York State Public Service Commission last month approved more than $120 million in new energy efficiency programs for residential and commercial and industrial markets, including $14.7 million for low-income residential customers.
To avoid duplicating program administration efforts and costs, the Commission decided that all low-income program funding for residential customers with income at or below 60 percent of the state median household income, should be administered through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) existing EmPower NY program, and that the funding will be coordinated closely with the state’s existing Weatherization Assistance Program, which NYSERDA is already doing. For low-income residential gas customers, NYSERDA will receive $14.7 million, designed to save 110,986 dekatherms.
To further expand its assistance to low-income families, the Commission ordered additional funding for natural gas energy efficiency measures to supplement NYSERDA’s existing electric Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program, which targets residential customers with incomes between 60 percent and 80 percent of the state’s median household income. This group often can’t afford to participate in other residential programs, but has income that is above the eligibility criteria for low-income residential programs, such as EmPower NY and WAP.
On June 23, 2008, the Commission created the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) program to develop and encourage cost-effective energy efficiency programs. Since then, numerous proposals have been submitted in response to the initial order, some of which are combined electric and gas programs. The order approved last month focuses on program proposals designed for residential and low-income residential customer segments as well as the commercial and industrial customer market segment through 2013.
The Commission’s decision today, when issued, may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site and entering Case Numbers 08-E-1127, 08-E-1128, 08-E-1129, 08-E-1130, 08-E-1132, 08-E-1133, 08-E-1135, 07-M-0548, and 09-G-0363 in the input box labeled “Search for Case/Matter Number.”
Source: NYPSC
