NEEP Policy Highlights | Energy Efficiency Matters

Welcome to Highlights!

May 2013

The Northeast has long been a national leader in efficiency. In order to remain at the top, we have to be willing to try new things and innovate. Innovation can yield great rewards, but it is not without risk. As any great inventor or entrepreneur knows, failure is a necessary ingredient for success.

So here is the catch: Many of our states are pursuing unprecedented savings goals, and doing more of the same won’t get them there. Yet as efficiency budgets grow, so does scrutiny. States must work hard to foster and maintain regulatory flexibility, and strike a balance of appropriate trust and rewards for program administrators with the need to protect ratepayer dollars — while also striving to meet broader public policy goals such as growing jobs, reducing grid strain and curbing emissions.

Regulators and consumer advocates want to ensure that each dollar is well-spent, while efficiency program administrators are being asked to go both broader and deeper with comprehensive building efficiency strategies, to change to adapting federal regulations and market conditions, and to keep up with the latest and greatest technologies and construction practices.

What are the policies, technologies and program innovations that can help leading states overcome barriers and continue to move up the curve? To explore these questions, NEEP is convening the Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit on June 18 & 19, with a focus on “Accelerating Innovation in Efficiency.”

We hope you will join regional and national thought leaders from the energy efficiency world when we convene in Springfield, Massachusetts a month from now. Registration is open!

Meantime, read on for the latest on legislation and regulatory happenings impacting energy efficiency in our region. From building labeling to big data, we’ve got you covered.