City of Tallahassee Electric Utility, Heartland Consumers Power District earn R&D excellence award
March 24, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 24, 2021
Heartland Consumers Power District and the City of Tallahassee Electric Utility in Florida have earned the 2021 Award of Continued Excellence (ACE) from the American Public Power Association’s Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments (DEED) program.
The award recognizes continued commitment to the DEED program and its ideals, including support of research, development and demonstration, improving efficiency, renewable resources, and support of public power. The award was presented during the APPA’s virtual Engineering & Operations Technical Conference this week.
South Dakota-based Heartland has been a DEED member since 1987 and extends its DEED membership to all its utility members and actively promotes DEED programs to their customers.
Heartland has benefited from sponsoring four interns with scholarships, which included projects that ranged from performing customer research to evaluating the effect of economic development incentives to creating a renewable energy calculator.
Heartland won an Energy Innovator Award in 2020 for the renewable energy calculator created as a result of internships and participated in two DEED webinars to share how to use the calculator with others.
Heartland launched its energy efficiency program, Power Forward, in 2009. As a wholesale power supplier, Heartland provides rebates to residential and commercial customers within customer communities for energy efficiency upgrades. Heartland also provides energy efficiency grants to customers who make energy efficient upgrades to city facilities. Heartland has assisted with the upgrade of more than 2,000 streetlights to LED.
Heartland continues to investigate new methods and systems to improve utility operations and help its utility members to operate more efficiently, such as by funding meter upgrades and investing in forecasting software and other tools to provide cost savings to its utility customers.
Tallahassee joined DEED in 1986 and has been involved in several projects, including a 1994 grant for a thermal mapping project, sponsoring and mentoring three DEED scholarship recipients, and earning two Energy Innovator Awards; one in 2012 for its Neighborhood REACH Program, a collaborative effort to improve livability in traditionally low-income areas, and a second in 2015 for its rebate program for energy and water conservation.
Over the years the utility has been a partner in federal, state and local R&D initiatives. Most recently, it collaborated with the Department of Energy, its national labs, and Nhu Energy to carry out research critically important to expanding solar and energy storage, known as the Florida Alliance for Accelerating Solar and Storage Technology Readiness. In 2020 they shared lessons learned from that project with the wider public power community on a DEED webinar.
The City of Tallahassee has committed to numerous sustainability goals and efforts including 100 percent clean energy by 2050, 100 percent clean energy for City Operations by 2035, development of a Clean Energy Integrated Resource Plan, electrification of City and Florida State University buses, and installation of fast charging stations.
For more information about DEED, visit www.PublicPower.org/DEED-Awards.
NYPA reports significant progress made in first year of statewide energy efficiency program
March 13, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 13, 2021
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) on March 8 reported that it has made significant progress during the first year of BuildSmart2025, a statewide energy efficiency program aimed at drastically reducing energy usage in state facilities.
The energy saving program calls for a reduction in site energy use in state buildings by 11 trillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) by the end of 2025.
As of the end of 2020, state entities have implemented or are actively developing energy projects with calculated energy savings of more than 4 trillion BTUs with the expectation that they will reduce an additional 1 trillion BTUs by the end of 2021, NYPA said.
There are 68 state entities participating in the BuildSmart 2025 program, with an assigned cumulative goal of reducing energy use in state facilities by 11 trillion BTUs. The goal is equivalent to a 34% reduction in energy use from a baseline year of 2015.
The program goal directly supports Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which calls for a reduction in energy use statewide by 185 trillion BTUs.
Additionally, the program supports the work of the GreenNY Council, which helps state agencies implement the state’s lead-by-example directives.
NYPA noted that BuildSmart2025 builds on the success of BuildSmartNY, which was launched in 2012 and directed state agencies to reduce their source energy use intensity 20 percent by 2020.
Including committed projects, the state exceeded that goal, recording a combined source energy use intensity reduction of 22.6 percent.
NYPA financed more than $650 million in energy efficiency projects at state buildings under BuildSmartNY and NYPA currently has plans to invest more than $850 million in energy efficiency projects at state buildings over the next several years as part of BuildSmart2025.
NYPA offers a wide variety of energy technology and renewable energy services to its governmental customers under BuildSmart2025, including energy audits, project engineering, design, installation, and construction management.
The energy efficiency projects carried out by NYPA include high efficiency lighting retrofits, occupancy and daylighting lighting sensors, building and energy management systems, boilers, chillers, air-handling systems, thermal storage, microgrids, solar photovoltaic systems, digester gas systems, and emerging energy technologies. NYPA provides financing with full cost recovery by its customers.
Some of NYPA’s state customers include the State University of New York, City University of New York, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Office of General Services, Office of Mental Health and Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
Some major energy efficiency projects already completed under the program include more than $23 million for a new chiller plant and cooling towers at Grand Central Terminal, nearly $24 million in comprehensive air-handling improvements at the State University of New York at Stony Brook Life and Science building, and nearly $18 million in boiler and chiller plant upgrades at W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus.
NYPA’s NY Energy Manager directly supports BuildSmart2025 by providing energy-use monitoring and suggestions to customers for improvements.
Through the NY Energy Manager service, NYPA tracks hundreds of energy efficiency projects implemented by state agencies and benchmarks their performance into the future.
Over the last 20 years, the NYPA Board of Trustees has approved nearly $4 billion in investments on energy efficiency projects with state and local government customers around the state, supporting hundreds of energy-saving projects.
CPS Energy issues RFP for conservation and energy efficiency programs
March 2, 2021
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
March 2, 2021
San Antonio, Texas-based public power utility CPS Energy on March 1 formally launched a request for proposals (RFP) for conservation and energy efficiency programs to develop the next phase of its Save for Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP).
CPS Energy said the severe impact of February’s historic winter weather storm in Texas demonstrates the relationship between year-round conservation and energy efficiency programs that enhance our community’s energy reliability.
The use of these programs contributed to material energy demand savings, which, when combined with action taken to stabilize the utility’s electric system, helped avoid a potential statewide loss of the power grid during the storm, it said.
Creating additional successful programs that are forward thinking is the goal of the RFP and CPS Energy “is moving quickly to improve the tools it uses to help customers proactively manage how they use energy,” the utility said.
STEP began in 2009 to empower customers to manage their energy through energy efficiency, weatherization, demand response and the adoption of both rooftop and community solar with a goal of saving 771 MW. This goal was achieved early and under budget in 2019 with 845 MW in energy savings.
In January 2020, the CPS Energy Board of Trustees and the City of San Antonio City Council extended the STEP Bridge program for an additional year with a target of 75 MW in energy savings.
In January 2021, the City Council approved an additional extension until July 2022 to allow additional time to recover from COVID-19 related program impacts and continue gathering public and stakeholder input for FlexSTEP.
CPS Energy is expanding the focus of FlexSTEP to include both energy and demand savings in targets.
In or around the fall of 2021, CPS Energy plans to seek the CPS Energy Board of Trustees’ and the City of San Antonio City Council’s approval of FlexSTEP.
The deadline for receipt of proposals is April 30, 2021 and additional details on the RFP are available here.
MMWEC expands residential demand management program to include thermostats
December 15, 2020
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
December 15, 2020
Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC), the joint action agency for municipal utilities in Massachusetts, is expanding its residential demand management program, “Connected Homes.” Beginning this month, select wifi thermostats have been added to the program for all participating municipal light plants (MLPs).
Connected Homes allows residential customers to better manage wifi-connected devices in their homes while reducing their carbon footprint.
Connected Homes, launched in April 2020 with 11 MLPs, is offered through MMWEC’s residential energy conservation service, the Home Energy Loss Prevention Services (HELPS) program.
HELPS is working with the company Virtual Peaker, a software platform, to allow customers of the participating MLPs to leverage the technology of smart appliances and devices into energy and cost savings for the light department and its customers, MMWEC noted.
By enrolling a smart device in the Connected Homes program, customers agree to allow their light department to make brief, limited adjustments to their devices during times of peak electric demand, such as temporarily reducing the charging rate of an electric vehicle during peak hours. Customers will be informed of possible adjustments in advance via email and given the choice to opt out of each adjustment. Customers who participate are given a stipend or bill credit.
Starting in December, select wifi thermostats have been added to the program for all participating MLPs.
Other devices already in the program are home batteries, electric vehicle chargers, electric hot water heaters and mini-split controllers. Devices and incentive amounts may vary by MLP.
In addition, two additional MLPs have signed on to participate, bringing the total number of participating utilities to 13.
Beginning January 1, the municipal utilities in Belmont and Shrewsbury join those in the communities of Groton, Holden, Holyoke, Ipswich, Mansfield, Marblehead, Princeton, South Hadley, Sterling, Wakefield and West Boylston.
“Through participation in Connected Homes, the growing number of customers moving toward electrification can easily and conveniently manage their home’s energy use, by adjusting the device’s energy usage remotely, or by setting an automatic schedule,” MMWEC said in a Dec. 14 news release.
MMWEC is a non-profit, public corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, created by an Act of the General Assembly in 1975 and authorized to issue debt to finance a wide range of energy facilities.
MMWEC provides a variety of power supply, financial, risk management and other services to the state’s consumer-owned municipal utilities. It has 20 municipal utility members and 28 project participants.
CPS Energy collaborates on smart streetlight sensor program
December 9, 2020
by Ethan Howland
APPA News
December 9, 2020
CPS Energy is teaming up with the city of San Antonio, AT&T and Itron to use smart technology to make streetlights more efficient and to be used as sources of environmental data collection.
Under the pilot project, AT&T and Itron are installing 45 smart streetlight sensors in three “innovation zones” in San Antonio, according to CPS Energy, San Antonio’s city-owned public power utility.
The sensors will include remote lighting controls and up to five “smart” use case applications: parking sensing, air quality, temperature, ambient noise and flood sensing, CPS Energy said Dec. 8.
The sensors on CPS Energy’s LED streetlights will tell the utility how its assets are functioning in near real-time, while improving service levels for customers.
The six-month pilot project is part of SmartSA, a consortium that includes CPS Energy, San Antonio, and other local entities. The effort aims to use data and technology to build a connected, inclusive and resilient community that supports high quality of life, according to the public power utility.
The pilot project will include data analysis to help CPS Energy determine how to use the sensors to best serve San Antonio and align with the city’s climate action and adaptation plan and ozone attainment goals, the public power utility said.
CPS Energy and SmartSA will prioritize protecting public privacy as it works on the pilot project and future smart city initiatives, according to the utility.
San Antonio’s innovation zones were established in 2017 to test new technologies. In a survey last year, city residents identified environmental quality, pedestrian safety and traffic congestion as key challenges in the zones, according to CPS Energy.
Setting up pilot projects in the zones is the first step towards developing practical solutions to the challenges, the utility said.
CPS Energy and its partners plan to assess the pilot project in the summer before installing the sensors across the city.
CPS Energy serves 840,750 electric customers and 352,585 natural gas customers in and around San Antonio.
Belmont Light rolls out program to help customers adopt air source heating systems
November 30, 2020
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 30, 2020
Belmont Light in Massachusetts has launched an education and marketing program aimed at providing customers with the information they need to install air-source heat pumps.
Belmont Light’s CleanComfort program, which is being administered by Adobe Energy Management, connects customers with expert research and guidance throughout the installation process, as well as available rebates.
“Our overall goal is strategic electrification,” Ben Thivierge, energy specialist at the public power utility, said. The town of Belmont adopted a climate action plan last year that calls for an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Belmont Light was involved with that plan and as part of it, “we need to do electrification and fuel switching. A lot of customers felt that heat pumps would be a good way to do that,” Thivierge said.
“Air-source heat pumps play an integral role in our plan to help the Town of Belmont reduce its carbon emissions,” Craig Spinale, Belmont Light’s general manager, said in a statement. “The CleanComfort program gives us an incredibly useful way to move toward those goals while also being able to offer cost savings and increased comfort to our customers.”
Belmont Light offers customers rebates of between $650 and $2,000, depending on size of the heat pump system they install. Rebates of up to $1,500 are also available for homeowners who completely replace fossil fuel systems with heat pumps.
Air-source heat pumps are ducted or ductless systems – sometimes referred to as mini-splits systems – that are able to heat and cool homes more efficiently than systems that use fuel oil. According to the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, homeowners can save up to $948 per year when replacing an existing fuel oil system with an air-source heat pump.
About 75% of Belmont Light’s customers use natural gas for heating. For them, the cost of switching to an air source heat pump would save them a little bit of money or be about equal in costs, while customers who use fuel oil or propane for heating would likely see lower costs, Thivierge said. However, customer feedback indicates that about half the customers who switch to air source heating do so for environmental reasons more than monetary reasons, he said.
Through the CleanComfort program, Abode Energy Management will provide a heat pump specialist to talk directly with Belmont Light customers. “Because the systems are highly customizable, it can be difficult to compare quotes and system designs,” Travis Estes, COO of Abode, said in a statement. “The heat pump specialist will help Belmont Light customers navigate the entire process and ensure installations are completed with the utmost quality at a fair price.”
Belmont Light sees the CleanComfort program as a follow up to its HeatSmart Belmont program, a similar education campaign that resulted in the installation of over 40 air source heat pump systems in Belmont homes in 2019.
The new program is also slightly different than the previous program in that customers have the opportunity to work with an expert energy consultant to verify that air source systems are sized correctly. “It helps us make sure the money is well spent and customers will not see their electric bills skyrocket,” Thivierge said.
The HeatSmart program had support of a state grant. For the new program, Belmont Light is bearing the costs by tapping the utility’s energy efficiency funds. “We view the program as a net benefit,” Thivierge said. The education piece of the program is important because “we want to be sure customers are comfortable with the changes in the technology, and we want customers to view us as a trusted energy adviser.”
Air source heat pumps have been around for a long time, but recent changes, particularly to some control components, have made the systems more efficient and reliable and better suited for colder climates.
In setting up the CleanComfort program, Belmont Light also met with other public power utilities – knowns as municipal light plants in Massachusetts – to come up with unified branding for the program. Thivierge said he knows of four other utilities that are using the program and have rolled it out in the past month or so.
Looking forward, Belmont Light is considering expanding its heat pump program. Based on customer feedback, Thivierge said the utility is looking at setting up rebates for customers who already have installed air source heat pumps and want to expand their systems to replace their existing fossil fuel heating systems.
Chelan PUD Commissioners hear details on plan to expand conservation efforts
November 17, 2020
by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
November 17, 2020
Commissioners for Washington State’s Chelan PUD on Nov. 16 heard a plan to expand energy conservation programs to focus on households that spend more than 6 percent of their income on power bills.
In Chelan County, about 2,100 households qualify as “high energy-burdened” because they spend more than 6 percent of their paychecks on electricity. About 98 percent of these households earn less than $20,000 a year.
PUD staff outlined a plan to launch a focused low-income energy assistance program in 2021. The PUD already offers rebates for energy-saving measures, including insulation, heat pumps and windows. Staff recommended greater engagement with nonprofits and landlords, as well as greater assistance to help low-income homeowners cover the up-front cost of home improvements.
PUD commissioners “expressed support to expand energy conservation, which would provide significant benefit to about two-thirds of the 2,100 high energy-burdened households,” Chelan noted in a news release.
“I believe we also have to remind ourselves that we work consistently to keep our rates lower than most of the country,” Commissioner Steve McKenna said. “That’s part of our ongoing commitment to provide rate relief.”
PUD staff will continue developing the program and report on progress in 2021.
Glendale, Calif., utility wins approval for efficiency, DR programs
October 23, 2020
by Peter Maloney
APPA News
October 23, 2020
The Glendale City Council in California has unanimously approved multiple energy efficiency and demand response programs for Glendale Water & Power, the city’s public power utility.
The new clean energy programs are part of Glendale Water & Power’s efforts to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. Last summer, the city council approved the utility’s plan to repower the aging Grayson Power Plant.
The Oct. 13 approvals included residential and commercial demand response programs, energy efficiency measures for commercial customers, and approval to begin negotiations for the development of a residential virtual power plant program.
The new demand response program would allow Glendale Water & Power to declare demand response events on peak days to reduce peak electrical load. Residential customers may participate in the program by using an existing smart thermostat and receiving a $50 incentive to join the program or by purchasing a new smart thermostat with a $100 discount through the program.
On peak days, Glendale Water & Power will adjust the temperature of the thermostats of participating customers to help reduce electrical demand. Residential customers will receive a $50 annual incentive for participating in the demand response program.
Commercial customers with demand of 50 kilowatts (kW) or greater are also eligible to participate and will receive a complimentary program site assessment to help identify load reduction strategies.
Commercial customers may join the program at two different levels: a 4-hour reduction ($10/kW-month or $50/kW-year) or a 2-hour reduction ($5/kW-month or $25/kW-year). Glendale Water & Power says the program will reduce peak energy demand by up to 10 megawatts (MW) on up to 15 peak days per year. Franklin Energy Services will provide services for the program.
The city council also approved an energy efficiency program for commercial customers that will provide eligible businesses with the direct installation of energy efficient lighting and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades. Glendale Water & Power expects the upgrades to reduce annual electric usage in the city by up to 35,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) and reduce demand by up to 8.3 MW. Lime Energy Services will be contracted to provide the services for the program.
The city council also directed Glendale Water & Power to complete negotiations with Sunrun for a proposed virtual power plant program that would provide solar generation and battery storage from 3,000 to 4,000 single-family residences and 30 to 40 multi-family properties.
The proposed program would deliver solar energy and an average of 25.25 MW of solar-powered battery storage each year to Glendale over 25 years and would provide backup power to participating customers in the event of a grid outage.
Once contract negotiations are complete, the contracts for the virtual power plant program will be presented to the city council for consideration. The utility says it would be the largest virtual power plant program of its kind.
After the contracts are finalized, Glendale Water & Power expects the new clean energy programs to get started early in 2021. When fully implemented, the utility expects the programs to deliver an average peak capacity of 38.4 MW.
“Our new clean energy programs show that Glendale is at the forefront of a clean energy commitment and will help transition GWP to have 100% renewable energy sources by 2045,” Steve Zurn, general manager of Glendale Water & Power, said in a statement.
The utility’s plan for the Grayson plant includes a 75 MW, 300 MWh battery storage system, as much as 50 MW of distributed energy resources that include solar photovoltaic systems, energy efficiency and demand response programs, and 93 MW of thermal generation from up to five internal combustion engines.
House passes Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, creating opportunity for Senate energy bill
September 25, 2020
by Susan Partain
APPA News
September 25, 2020
On September 24, the House passed H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, by a vote of 220-185. The $135 billion package includes several clean energy and workforce bills from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Natural Resources Committee, and Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
The bill would authorize major investments in Department of Energy (DOE) research and development programs, including for wind, solar, geothermal, carbon capture, and hydropower. The bill also includes several energy efficiency provisions from the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitive Act of 2019 (H.R. 3962), which the American Public Power Association supports.
H.R. 4447 also incorporates a variety of “energy innovation” bills, including H.R. 2986, the Better Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Act, which would direct DOE to establish a competitive grant program, for which public power utilities would be eligible, for the demonstration of energy storage technology. APPA supports the BEST Act.
Some provisions of concern to public power utilities include additions of “must consider” provisions to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act, requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider changes to Order 1000, and creation of a voluntary, streamlined process for local permitting and inspection of distributed energy resources, energy storage, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. These provisions are not included in the Senate energy bill.
Prior to final passage, the House voted to adopt two en bloc amendments and an amendment from Representative Debra Haaland (D-NM).
The amendment from Haaland would increase authorizations for renewables by 50% and add an authorization for total funding for research, development, demonstration, and commercialization for the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Many of the adopted en bloc amendments relate to funding or authorizing specific activities at DOE, including new research and development and wildfire mitigation. For the former, one specific amendment would support research and development on underground transmission and distribution lines, including methods for lowering costs, ways to increase resiliency, and wireless sensors to detect degradation and faults. For the latter, one such activity would be for the DOE to create a geospatial map of wildfire risk around utility infrastructure to improve planning for grid hardening, vegetation management, and emergency access points.
Reactions around Washington
In comments made on the House floor Wednesday, Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) noted that the bill, “represents a significant investment in clean energy infrastructure and job-creation. In addition to investing in clean energy production, distribution, and storage, this legislation sets new energy efficiency standards for buildings and provides funding for homes, schools, manufacturing facilities, and public buildings to upgrade and improve their energy efficiency. It makes bold investments in wind and solar, in advanced nuclear technologies, and in helping to decarbonize the fossil-fuel sector.”
On Monday, the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy in opposition to H.R. 4447, saying the bill “would implement a top-down approach that would undermine the Administration’s deregulatory agenda and empower the government to select favored solutions while reinstating big-government policies and programs.”
House Rules Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) noted in a meeting Monday about the bill that “the goal here is to come up with a consensus bill with the Senate” and said that he expects some of the provisions that House Republicans do not like will be removed should the bill go to conference.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Ranking Member Joe Manchin (D-WV) developed a bipartisan energy innovation bill, the American Energy Innovation Act, which was unable to clear a procedural hurdle in early March. Since then, one of the major holdups, disagreements over the regulation of hydrofluorocarbons, has been resolved by a bipartisan group of senators. Sen. Murkowski is pushing for the bill to be brought up for a vote before the end of the year, before she ends her term as Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. APPA supports the American Energy Innovation Act, which is more focused legislation with bipartisan Senate support.
However, given the limited legislative calendar and the likelihood of the Senate considering a Supreme Court nominee, the path forward for the American Energy Innovation Act and the opportunity to conference with the House bill is unclear. Further, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has placed a legislative hold on the bill, which could prevent it from receiving floor consideration.
TVA Launches Virtual Home Energy Audits For Customers
July 6, 2020
By Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
Posted July 6, 2020
The Tennessee Valley Authority on July 1 said it has launched virtual home energy evaluations, enabling residents across its seven-state region to benefit from money-saving energy advice, even during pandemic conditions.
“Innovation is in TVA‘s DNA, and we’re using new technology to provide consumers expert energy advice, while maintaining CDC social distancing guidelines,” said Frank Rapley, senior manager, TVA EnergyRight.
TVA said that it is the first utility in the southeast U.S. to launch virtual home energy evaluations.
Normally a technician would visit a customer’s home to complete the evaluation, TVA noted. Now, customers can use their smart device to interact with an energy professional through an app and augmented reality technology.
“It was really easy,” said Bri Moran, Nashville, Tennessee. “We looked at my appliances, thermostat and heat and air unit, and checked the weather stripping on my doors and windows. He made it simple to find everything, because I wasn’t sure where everything was.”
Rapley noted that energy evaluations help customers save money by identifying areas where energy loss may occur. The new technology makes the evaluation possible while maintaining safe social distancing and including the homeowner in the experience, TVA said.
“While in-person inspections are done while homeowners wait in their living rooms, virtual inspections take them along the journey. We get them excited about saving energy in their home, and we can see they’re really interested in learning,” Rapley said.
TVA partnered with CLEAResult, which designs and maintains energy optimization services for utility companies, to bring this product to customers.
TVA virtual home energy evaluations are open to all residential customers – homeowners, landlords, and tenants – of qualifying single-family residences within TVA’s service area.
Additional information about TVA’s virtual home energy evaluation program is available here.
Energy New England offering a remote home energy assessment option
Energy New England on April 9 said it is offering a remote home energy assessment option to customers of participating Municipal Light Plants.
The effort started on March 13 after a stay at home advisory was issued in Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, municipal light departments participating in the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company residential energy efficiency program will begin offering virtual energy efficiency audits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new service, which will include virtual energy efficiency audits as well as virtual verification for energy efficiency rebates, is being offered through MMWEC’s Home Energy Loss Prevention Services (HELPS) program. Nineteen consumer-owned municipal utilities participate in HELPS.