|
In this newsletter:
- EEIP Updates
- IRA Home Energy Rebate Applications
- SPEER Legislative Priorities
- Local Policy Actions
- Upcoming Events and Webinars
- What We’re Reading/Hearing
- SPEER Resources
| |
|
IOU Energy Efficiency Report PY 2023:
At the Energy Efficiency Implementation Project (EEIP) meeting last month, the now titled Investor-Owned Utilities Energy Efficiency Report Program Year 2023 (Formerly the Statewide Energy Efficiency Report) was discussed. On November 21st, staff filed the completed report in Project No.38578. The report notes that IOU efficiency programs remain highly cost beneficial with a benefit cost ratio of 3.2! This is the fourth consecutive year that the B/C ratio is over 3. Putting these benefits into some example numbers from the report, participants in the Retrofit Residential Standard Offer Program saw annual electricity bill savings of $264 dollars! Likewise, low-income program participants saw savings of $240 dollars last year (See Figure below).
| |
|
Figure: AMI-Measured Average Annual Energy Savings for Residential Retrofit Programs
The 2023 program year boasted over 580MW’s of demand reductions at a lifetime achieved cost for energy efficiency of $15.54 per kW and $49.25 per kW for load management. Additionally, electricity savings of over 604GWh’s at a lifetime achieved cost of $0.018kWh and $0.017kWh for ERCOT and non-ERCOT utilities respectively.
| |
Figure: Demand Reductions for PY 2023 | Figure: Electricity Savings for PY 2023 | |
|
SPEER is proud of the work our members AEP Texas, CenterPoint, Oncor, TNMP and Entergy have achieved, as well as the other IOU’s for their efforts. These member utilities were top MW savers for several of their programs that they offer. Still more can be done, and we are excited to work with them to achieve their goals.
TRM Finalized:
The Texas Technical Reference Manual (TRM) v12.0 has been finalized and filed in Project No. 56768. At the fall EEIP meeting many of the amendments to the previous TRM were reviewed. The TRM is an important resource that outlines the deemed savings values and calculations for energy efficiency measures. In 2023 SPEER, in coordination with the SPEER Heat Pump Working Group, submitted comments requesting the PUCT and EM&V contractor consider revisions to the TRM to include measures for variable speed heat pump systems. Over the last year, in order to compile sufficient data, the PUCT facilitated their own heat pump working group. In TRM v12.0, a new measurement has been established for variable speed heat pump systems. While there is still likely more work and data collection needed, this is a big step toward further adoption of variable speed systems in the state. SPEER is appreciative of the PUCT, EM&V, and the heat pump working group for their efforts in developing this new measure, as well as the entirety of TRM v12.0.
Avoided Cost Calculations Published:
The avoided cost of energy and of capacity were filed in Project No.38578 in November. These calculations refer to the costs that a utility would have incurred if not for the energy efficiency implementation. These measurements are important for utilities as they develop their efficiency programs to ensure cost-effectiveness for each program. For the program year 2025, the avoided cost of energy is $114.73 per MWh, and the avoided cost of capacity is $100 per kW-year.
| |
IRA Home Energy Rebate Applications | |
|
The State of Texas has officially applied for both the Home Energy Performance-Based, Whole House (HOMES) rebate program and the Home Electrification and Application Rebate (HEAR) program as authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act. These two programs will provide approximately $690 million dollars to Texas for the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) to implement and administer federal funds to be used for increased energy efficiency efforts. At this time, there are no current approved contractors in Texas.
Oklahoma is currently preparing their application. The state would be allocated approximately $129 million in federal funds for the same types of measures as outlined above. Oklahoma has until January 31, 2025 to submit their application.
For additional information on the IRA Home Energy Rebate programs, please visit the DOE website.
| |
SPEER Regional Legislative Priorities | |
Texas:
It feels like just yesterday that we were wrapping up the 88th session, but alas we are moving briskly towards another fast and furious Texas Legislative session. To that end, SPEER has officially published our legislative priorities for Texas! These priorities are intended to help guide our efforts to educate policymakers and stakeholders on the importance of energy efficiency, building codes, and most things energy related.
Of note, we will continue to support efforts to improve the existing energy efficiency programs administered by the utilities in Texas. We saw movement last session and believe progress can be made to make impactful changes to statute to provide flexibility for utilities, while increasing the reach of energy efficiency in the state and lowering bills for residents and businesses. Consumer cost is paramount to our outreach. Our priorities are listed below:
- EERS Goal Improved Performance
- Updated Building Codes
- Workforce Development
- DR Residential Incentives and DERs
- Transmission Buildout
- Insurance
- Extreme Weather Preparedness
What’s next at the Texas Lege?
Bill filing has begun. On November 11th Texas legislators began filing legislation for the upcoming 89th legislative session, which officially begins on January 14th, 2025. SPEER is in the process of developing our legislation tracker for this session and plans to have this available by the end of December for public viewing.
| |
|
Oklahoma:
A new session begins in Oklahoma with a new House speaker in 2025. There has been much attention to energy resources during the interim and SPEER hopes the Legislature will emphasize the importance of demand-side resource planning and policies to improve resiliency and reliability to the state energy needs. As such, we have published our Oklahoma legislative priorities for the 60th Legislature.
Our priorities include expanding demand-side planning opportunities to help reduce energy bills for all Oklahomans. We hope to educate policymakers and stakeholders on the critical role of building codes for building resiliency efforts, as well as on the necessity for developing a robust energy workforce. Our priorities are listed below:
- Updated Building Codes
- Demand-side Planning Opportunities
- Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy
- Workforce Development
- Distributed Energy Resource Planning
What’s next at the Oklahoma Lege?
The Oklahoma 60th Legislative session will be kicking up in early 2025. Organizational Day is scheduled for January 7, 2025 with the official start of session beginning on February 3, 2025. For more information you can visit the Oklahoma House site or the Oklahoma Senate site. As bills are filed, SPEER will be developing a legislation tracker to be publicly available on our website.
| |
Austin: The Austin City Council held its regular council meeting on November 21st . On the agenda are items for Austin Water, which approved the adoption of Water Forward 2024, Austin’s Integrated Water Resource Plan. This includes conservation, reuse, supply strategies, and an adaptive management framework to respond to needs . For more information, please see the Austin City Council Agenda here. | |
If you are aware of upcoming policy discussions or actions in your area and would like to share them in this newsletter, please send information to noaks@eepartnership.org. | |
Upcoming Events + Webinars | |
Building Operator Certification (BOC) Training Course: Our winter BOC training and education course kicks off in December and runs through mid-March 2025! This course will be taught live via Zoom by our approved instructors. Operations & maintenance best practices can save 5-20% annually on energy bills, but buildings can only be operated efficiently if the building operator is properly trained. Participants will learn a range of building maintenance best practices, including energy efficient operation of building HVAC systems, measuring and benching energy performance, indoor environmental quality, HVAC control fundamentals, building scoping for operational improvement and much more. Learn more about the BOC Program and register now. | |
ENERGY STAR Webinar: Learn How Energy Skilled and ENERGY STAR Work Together: On December 4th, the Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR are hosting a webinar to promote the importance of the right workforce skills for optimized performance in heat pump systems. For more information, please see our events calendar here. | |
CELC Webinar: Maximizing Your Grant Success From Application to Award: On December 5th, SPEER and Learn Design Apply, Inc. will host a webinar for an engaging and informative discussion on navigating the complex world of funding opportunities. Whether you’re new to the grant process or looking to sharpen your skills, this session is designed to guide you through the entire grant lifecycle. For more information please see our events calendar here. | |
Webinar: Understanding and Applying the IECC Energy Code Requirements for Demand Controlled Hot Water Recirculation in Residential Construction: Join us on December 17th for an informative webinar on the IECC Energy Code requirements for Demand-Controlled Hot Water Recirculation (DCHWR) systems in residential construction. This session will cover the fundamentals of demand-controlled hot water recirculation, the benefits for energy savings and efficiency, and the specific IECC requirements aimed at reducing wasted water and energy in residential projects. We’ll dive into the technical requirements, practical applications, and compliance strategies, helping builders, designers, and code officials understand how to effectively incorporate DCHWR systems into their projects. Whether you’re aiming to meet code requirements or interested in enhancing efficiency, this webinar will equip you with the knowledge needed to implement DCHWR solutions successfully. Register here. | |
|
SPEER's State and Local Policy webpage features state-specific policy information, including links to key state agency webpages, our previous public comments, and additional information about our work in both Texas and Oklahoma. You will also find our released reports, templates and materials for engaging with policy leaders, and additional materials on how our Policy Program interacts with the ongoing Heat Pump Working Group, SPEER Codes Program, and SPEER Local Governments Program.
Missed our recent newsletters focused on energy codes, local government updates, powering efficiency forward in Oklahoma, and other regional energy news? Head over to our archive page to catch up.
Did you know SPEER's YouTube page has over 180+ recorded webinars? Topics include: Energy Code Basics, Building Thermal Envelope 101 & HVAC Energy Savings, Heat Pump Rooftop Units, Understanding Table R402.1.1 and air barriers, and much more. Subscribe now!
| | | | |
