New York Chapter

Issues: New York State

Property Accessed Clean Energy (PACE)

The New York State Legislature passed Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) legislation (S.66004) which set the stage to allow municipalities to establish a sustainable energy loan program as a means to finance energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy installs on residential and commercial properties. PACE is an innovative and viable finance mechanism that can assist homeowners overcome the lack of access to capital funds to perform energy efficiency improvements, or install renewable energy systems.

We are working in with the PACE Climate and Energy Center, the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC), the Building Performance Contractors Association, and other related organizations to promote and advocate for specific amendments to the legislation that will be discussed in the NYS legislature in the near future.

PACE Enabling Legislation: Ten Key Components of PACE Legal Authority (March 2010)

Green Jobs Green NY

The New York State legislature, last October passed the Green Jobs Green NY Act of 2009, to focus on performing retrofit work specifically targeting economically distressed communities through partnerships of Community and Consistency-based organizations with BPI Accredited Home Performance Contractors. “It is anticipated that the (majority of the) Green Jobs/Green NY initiative will fall in step with the current NYSERDA Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program” (NYSERDA). The program’s $112 million of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) funding will be used to leverage private sector financing to provide a variety of finance options (such as PACE or on-bill recovery) for homeowners and small business across NYS. We will continue to advocate for building performance professionals to ensure that contractors performing comprehensive audits are working within BPI or equivalent standards.

• Sample letter to the New York Public Service Commission [text file]

Download this sample letter and use it as a basis for commenting on the New York Standard Approach for Estimating Energy Savings from Energy Efficiency Programs 90 Day Program Single Family Residential Measures.

GJ/GNY Outreach and Marketing Operating Plan - DRAFT (March 4, 2010)

http://www.nyserda.org/GreenNY/documents/gjgny_omop_draft.pdf

The New York State Public Service Commission (NYS PSC) established an electric and natural gas Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS), Case 07-M-0548, in June 2008. The EEPS sets goals aligned with the New York State Energy Plan to reduce New Yorker’s electricity usage of 15 percent by 2015. The focus is for NYSERDA and state utilities to enact energy efficiency programs which would provide direct incentives to homeowners and businesses. “The Commission made clear that rigorous program evaluation must be a central focus and specifically required “transparent and technically sound methods for measurement and verification of net energy savings, benefits and costs, as well as assessment of customer satisfaction and program efficacy” (NYS PSC).

The New York State Chapter of Efficiency First will be tracking the evaluation process, its measures and methodology in order to promote for sustained funding for energy efficiency programs. This will also expand to NYS’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard. As building performance professionals, the value of our technical knowledge and experience must be voiced during this and other related policy initiatives and targets which directly impact our clean energy and technology economy.

Click to download: Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) Case 07-M-0548

Issues: Federal

Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 (S.3177)

The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 (S.3177) officially introduced in the Senate on March 25th 2010, would be a powerful new energy retrofit incentive and financing program for American homeowners. In New York, working with the existing framework of Home Performance with Energy Star programs via NYSERDA and LIPA, the proposed Home Star Energy Retrofit program would increase demand for home energy retrofits. Also HOME STAR's GOLD STAR track would require BPI accreditation, already in place for companies working within New York's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

Retrofit for Energy and Environmental Performance (REEP)

REEP is a proposed program, to facilitate the retrofitting of existing buildings across the United States. Its goal is to achieve cost-effective energy efficiency savings of 20 percent or more and significant reductions in water use. We plan to support the advancement of REEP in Congress, and to uphold building science, performance, and contractor standards.

Memos