Speaking in Stamford Thursday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Connecticut can again lead the nation in energy efficiency, highlighting multiple new initiatives to a meeting of the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership.
Connecticut is currently ranked eighth for energy efficiency by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, with ACEEE have ranked the state first in the nation as recently as 2007.
Malloy told NEEP that the state”™s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is recommending an increase in the budget for efficiency programs from $105 million to $158 million for this year to expand programs offered to homeowners and businesses, overseen by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Board.
The increased funding for efficiency programs is a major recommendation contained in a key energy strategy document ”“ Connecticut”™s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) ”“ which was released Thursday and available online at www.ct.gov/deep.
The IRP looks ahead to trends in the electricity market over the next decade and sets out a plan for supplying electricity and meeting demand in a manner that minimizes costs and maximizes benefits for Connecticut”™s electric customers.
“The IRP tell us that we should invest more in efficiency now to immediately begin reaping the efficiency benefits of reduced demand and make the biggest possible dent in the impact of rate increases projected over the longer-term future,” Malloy stated.
Legislation approved in this week”™s session of the Connecticut General Assembly aims to:
Ӣ expand the reach of efficiency programs by removing a funding cap to ensure home heating oil customers, which represent nearly half the homes in the state, can participate;
”¢ increase the bond authority of Connecticut”™s “green bank” ”“ the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) ”“ so that it can provide additional financial incentives for efficiency and renewable energy projects; and
Ӣ create an innovative financing option known as Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) to encourage efficiency projects at commercial properties.
The state is focused on setting a real example for efficiency through a “Lead By Example” program designed to reduce energy consumption in state buildings by 10 percent before January 2013 and an additional 10 percent five years later. The state has allocated $15 million in bond funds for the program, and 34 projects have already been approved.
Malloy also announced that a new marketing initiative will roll out this fall bringing together all efficiency and renewable energy programs into a single brand and website, dubbed “energizeCT.”
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