New York's REV: Energy Efficiency is a Mixed Bag

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ACEEE Energy ManageNew York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) includes energy efficiency goals that vary widely, according to a blog post by Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

On the positive side, writes Nadel, National Grid, the state's second largest investor-owned utility, proposed a plan that will achieve electric efficiency savings of about 0.9 percent of its distribution sales in its first year and ramp up to 1.2 percent of sales in the third year (these calculations are ACEEE's). National Grid's New York savings are substantially greater than the other New York utilities, but still fall short of the greater-than-2.0-percent-per-year savings that National Grid is achieving in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Another positive is that NYSERDA has proposed new initiatives that address the energy efficiency of tenant spaces in commercial buildings, strategic energy management in industrial facilities, zero net energy and deep retrofits in both the residential and commercial sectors.

But Nadel says the plans of the state's other large utilities, Consolidated Edison and New York State Electric & Gas are not as promising. Con Ed's plan calls for energy efficiency savings of about 0.4 percent of distribution sales in all three years, while NYSEG's plan also targets savings of about 0.4 percent of distribution sales. Both the Con Ed and NYSEG plans include only a limited number of programs with a focus on commercial and industrial rebates, small commercial direct installation, and multifamily programs, writes Nadel.

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