ENERGY AFFORDABILITY
Resi Efficiency in Hard
​to Reach Places

Clarify and make explicit that the PSC has the statutory authority to consider rates specific to low-income utility customers.
​

MEI GRADE

REFERENCE TO 2015 PLAN   |   ACTION TAKEN
 |  SCORE   |   STEPS TO COMPLETION

​REFERENCE POINT 
​ ​IN 2015 PLAN
- NONE PROVIDED FOR NOW - ​

​​​ACTION TAKEN
Advocated for consideration of this legislative measure in PSC docket “Working Case to Consider Policies to Improve Electric Utility Regulation” (EW-2016-0313). PSC has approved reduction of monthly fixed charges for low-income customers in some recent rate cases (Missouri-American Water, Empire). Advocated for a two-tier structure to low-income billing assistance in Spire’s rate cases. Advocated for a similar structure in Liberty’s natural gas rate case. PSC approved low-income pilot for Liberty gas customers.

WHO TOOK ACTION​

MEI GRADE / SCORE 

​MEI RATIONALE FOR GRADE
DE took action, but not Reg. Agency or stakeholders

​​STEPS TO COMPLETION
Further progress steps include providing evidence and testimony to support PSC ordering low-income rates in utility cases, continuing to work to inform the public that the PSC has ordered low-income rates for consumers, and working to secure broader implementation of low-income rates by utilities. 

​​WHO IS IN CONTROL OF DESTINY

Create energy efficiency incentive program targeting multifamily properties by ensuring an equitable share of available resources.​
​

MEI GRADE

REFERENCE TO 2015 PLAN   |   ACTION TAKEN
 |  SCORE   |   STEPS TO COMPLETION

​REFERENCE POINT 
​ ​IN 2015 PLAN
When seen at the household level a multifamily apartment may require significantly less energy than a single-family home… Multifamily housing has a number of properties that should make energy efficiency improvements an appealing investment, but only a fraction of the potential energy savings in the multifamily sector has been realized. One reason for this is that in the multifamily sector there is a “split incentive” problem, by which a building owner pays for projects and improvements to the building, but cannot recover savings from reduced energy use that accrue to the tenant. Improving the energy efficiency of multifamily housing could lead to improved stability of vulnerable households, most of which are renters whose annual income is typically lower than that of homeowners and therefore spend a higher percentage of their income on energy (1.1, 69).

ACTION TAKEN
 Ameren and KCP&L/GMO have multifamily programs. DE successfully advocated for “red tag” repair programs for Spire and Liberty gas, which include efficiency standards for space heating equipment replaced in conjunction with weatherization program upgrades.  

WHO TOOK ACTION​​

MEI GRADE / SCORE 

MEI RATIONALE FOR GRADE
Utilities have programs.

​​STEPS TO COMPLETION
Further progress steps include providing evidence and testimony to support program design, program delivery, and solutions to overcome EE barriers (deferral, walk-away, out-of-pocket fund issues) and to continue to develop and support the offering of programs to deliver benefits to hard-to-reach sector customers (such as on-bill tariff programs and manufactured housing).

​​WHO IS IN CONTROL OF DESTINY

Structure incentives to achieve comprehensive energy savings from a “whole building approach”.
​

MEI GRADE

REFERENCE TO 2015 PLAN   |   ACTION TAKEN
 |  SCORE   |   STEPS TO COMPLETION

REFERENCE POINT 
​ ​IN 2015 PLAN
- NONE PROVIDED FOR NOW - 
​
​ACTION TAKEN
Ameren and KCP&L/GMO agreed to consider this approach under their MEEIA program Cycle 2 agreements, and Ameren plans to pursue a whole-building approach in MEEIA Cycle 3. 
​
WHO TOOK ACTION​​​

​​MEI GRADE / SCORE 

​MEI RATIONALE FOR GRADE
Utilities are considering.

​​STEPS TO COMPLETION
Further progress steps include considering whole building approach to offer under MEEIA, assisting to further develop whole building approach for MEEIA consideration, and working to advance support to adopt the “whole building approach” as an incentive program through MEEIA.
​
​​WHO IS IN CONTROL OF DESTINY

Provide building owners with access to energy consumption data and benchmarking tools.
​

MEI GRADE

REFERENCE TO 2015 PLAN   |   ACTION TAKEN
 |  SCORE   |   STEPS TO COMPLETION

​REFERENCE POINT 
​ ​IN 2015 PLAN
- NONE PROVIDED FOR NOW - 
​
​ACTION TAKEN
KCP&L introduced an on-line program for small business to track energy usage. KCP&L, Ameren, Spire all have on-line residential customer applications to monitor energy usage. MEEIA Cycle 3 should include opportunities to provide multifamily program participants with 12 months of data and assist with benchmarking. DE supported the ability for customers to obtain data in rate cases, and KCP&L/GMO will adopt a “Green Button” platform to make greater data access available.

WHO TOOK ACTION​​​

​​MEI GRADE / SCORE 

​​​​MEI RATIONALE FOR GRADE
Very early stages

​​STEPS TO COMPLETION
Further progress steps include taking an inventory of data access and benchmarking tools and developing guidance around data access, privacy, and security, developing and disseminating a toolkit that combines data access and benchmarking resources, and collaborating with utilities to make energy data and tools available to building owners through energy efficiency programs.​

​​WHO IS IN CONTROL OF DESTINY

Coordinate among utility programs.

MEI GRADE

REFERENCE TO 2015 PLAN   |   ACTION TAKEN
 |  SCORE   |   STEPS TO COMPLETION

​REFERENCE POINT 
​ ​IN 2015 PLAN
- NONE PROVIDED FOR NOW - 
​
​ACTION TAKEN
Statewide collaborative has and will continue to address low-income topics, which includes multifamily topics. 

​WHO TOOK ACTION​​​

​​MEI GRADE / SCORE 

.​​​​MEI RATIONALE FOR GRADE
Goal is to coordinate with utilities. This is being done.

​​STEPS TO COMPLETION
Further progress steps include contributing to and engaging in collaborative work sessions and discussions to develop more seamless programs, the delivery of complementary (or co-delivered) energy efficiency programs, and continuing to engage in program design and delivery.

​Assure that cost-effectiveness
​tests appropriately account for non-energy benefits.
​

MEI GRADE

REFERENCE TO 2015 PLAN   |   ACTION TAKEN
 |  SCORE   |   STEPS TO COMPLETION

REFERENCE POINT 
​ ​IN 2015 PLAN
- NONE PROVIDED FOR NOW - ​​

​​​ACTION TAKEN
Final MEEIA rule allows NEBs to be included in TRC test if they result in cost savings for the utility and are reasonably quantifiable. NEBs may always be included in the SCT. The statewide collaborative will address NEBs. ​

WHO TOOK ACTION​

MEI GRADE / SCORE 

​​MEI RATIONALE FOR GRADE
Goal is optional, but calls for requirement.

​​STEPS TO COMPLETION
Further progress steps include the MEEAC’s NEBs subgroup developing quantification plan and working to secure PSC approval of programs/measures that utilize NEBs incorporated into the cost-effectiveness test.

​​WHO IS IN CONTROL OF DESTINY

Build partnerships with local market participants and assist building owners with financing.
​

MEI GRADE

REFERENCE TO 2015 PLAN   |   ACTION TAKEN
 |  SCORE   |   STEPS TO COMPLETION​​

​​REFERENCE POINT 
​ ​IN 2015 PLAN
- NONE PROVIDED FOR NOW - ​​​​

​ACTION TAKEN
Participated in Missouri Multifamily Affordable Housing initiative with NRDC and other stakeholders as well as utility advisory collaboratives to implement multifamily programs included in MEEIA cycle 2 filings. DE is working to offer a multifamily BOC program in coordination with one or more Missouri utilities and Missouri participates in the US DOE Clean Energy for Low Income Communities Accelerator initiative (CELICA). DE has encouraged utilities to evaluate on-bill financing options and conduct feasibility studies. Ameren Missouri and KCP&L/GMO offer low-income multifamily programs and BOC training in their MEEIA Cycle 2 portfolios and wish to continue under MEEIA Cycle 3.

​WHO TOOK ACTION​​​​

​​MEI GRADE / SCORE ​

​​​​​MEI RATIONALE FOR GRADE
Not a DE driven. Engaged, but no partnership created. Very early.

​​STEPS TO COMPLETION
Further progress steps include investigating and identifying a successful model to emulate and then conducting outreach and relationship building to find and develop deeper partnerships (with the aim of to conducting a pilot with one local partnership model) and creating a roadmap for other communities to follow in order to develop their own partnerships.

​​WHO IS IN CONTROL OF DESTINY