House Bill 874 Filed!

Over 50 Groups and Businesses Endorse Public Benefit Fund for Efficiency

Raleigh, NC, May 3, 2011 – Representative Paul Luebke of Durham and primary sponsors from Asheville, Winston-Salem and Greensboro have filed House Bill 874 to create a Public Benefit Fund to increase energy efficiency in homes and and public service buildings throughout the state.

The Fund would support weatherization of several thousand homes each year, including a revolving loan fund available to residents of all income levels to make improvements affordable. It will maintain jobs and skills that have been developed over the past two years with ARRA funds and would otherwise be lost next spring when that funding ends, while we still have over 200,000 older, inefficient homes. Efficiency improvements are much cheaper per kilowatt hour saved-only 3 to 6 cents–when compared to the cost of providing new energy sources. It would be managed by the State Energy Office, which currently administers federal and state weatherization programs. An independent Board and annual evaluations will optimize programs and prevent conflicts of interest.

Improving efficiency is the single most cost-effective energy investment (2 to 6 cents per kilowatt hour compared to 12 to 15 cents or more for new power plants!) to:

  • reduce consumer bills
  • create and maintain “green collar” jobs in local businesses and non-profits
  • reduce demand and prevent the need for new power plants
  • reduce health damaging pollution and greenhouse gases

You can help NC SAVE$ ENERGY become a reality by contacting your state representatives today and asking them to co-sponsor House Bill 874!

What is NC SAVE$ ENERGY?

NC SAVE$ ENERGY is an initiative by a growing number of organizations to create a statewide, independent (non-utility) energy efficiency program. It will keep savings on energy bills in the hands of residential customers, while serving those who can least afford rising energy costs.

NC SAVE$ Energy creates a publicly-managed, independent fund to pay for energy efficiency projects for homes, local government buildings, hospitals, and schools. This program will create good North Carolina jobs, save people money, protect the environment, and ensure healthy, safe homes and buildings across the state.

NC SAVE$ ENERGY is based on the experiences of six other states’ cost-effective independent energy efficiency programs.

We are proposing that NC SAVE$ ENERGY be administered by a non-profit organization that would be governed independently of energy provider interests. We are working to get NC SAVE$ ENERGY passed through the North Carolina General Assembly.

Independent Administration of Energy Efficiency Programs

Want to learn more about the experience and success of independently administered efficiency in 6 other states?

Click here for a 2007 report by Synapse Energy Economics.