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Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana kills energy-efficiency program in eleventh hour
This story was originally published by Floodlight. In a move energy advocates say will increase electric bills for Louisiana residents and allow the state's utilities to keep earning money for electricity they don't provide, Louisiana's energy regulators voted 3–2 Wednesday to scrap plans for an independently operated energy-efficiency program more than 14 years in the making. The matter was added two days before the Louisiana Public Service Commission's meeting, held at a remote golf club on the Texas border, 2 ½ hours from where the PSC regularly meets. The vote, along party lines, reversed decisions made last year establishing program standards and hiring an independent administrator. 'We today gave a punch to the face to all Louisianians who are struggling to pay their bills because we said we are not interested, as a commission, in ensuring that we can reduce your energy usage so you can afford your bills,' PSC member Davante Lewis, who opposed Wednesday's motion along with fellow Democrat Foster Campbell, told Floodlight after the meeting. 'I am not aware of any other commission where a decision of this significance could have been made in this way,' said Forest Bradley-Wright, who as the state and utility policy director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy has appeared in front of utility commissions throughout the country. 'Next to no notice. In a remote part of the state. Unwinding years of rulemaking work without any meaningful process.'Louisiana residents consume more electricity in their homes than in any other state. The program would have helped reduce that use, lowering bills for individual customers and reducing the overall demand for power in the state. 'We waste so much energy in the state, and the idea behind this program was to stop throwing money away,' said Logan Atkinson Burke, executive director for the consumer watchdog group The Alliance for Affordable Energy. Last year's adoption of the program occurred in a Baton Rouge meeting room packed with advocates of the measure chanting 'Vote, vote, vote!' as Commissioner Eric Skrmetta spoke for more than two hours against the program. Commissioner Craig Greene, the swing vote on the commission during that 2024 vote, has since left the commission. He was replaced by Jean-Paul Coussan, who voted Wednesday with Skrmetta and Chairman Mike Francis. Francis had requested the commission reconsider the energy-efficiency program because he argued it was confusing and cost too much. Just seven months ago, the commission awarded a $24.5 million contract to engineering firm TetraTech and Baton Rouge–based Aptim to administer it. The companies were just days away from a May 1 deadline to present specifics of how the program would work. 'A lot of work has gone' into that program, Lewis said. 'And what my colleagues did today, they said they didn't even want to see whether that proposal was good.' Mark Kleehammer, Cleco's chief regulatory officer, told the commission the utility found that around the country, the cost for third-party administrators for energy-efficiency programs is 'significantly higher' than utility-run programs. Currently those programs are set to expire at the end of this year. Both Kleehammer and Larry Hand, vice president of regulatory and public affairs at Entergy Louisiana, said the utility-run energy-efficiency programs should remain in place. Under the status quo, if utilities sell less energy because of efficiency measures, they still get paid that lost revenue, which amounts to about $6 million a year, Burke said. Under the rules adopted for a third-party administrator, the utilities wouldn't get paid that lost revenue. 'We were going to save millions with just that,' she said. With the third-party program gone, there is still a pot of energy-efficiency money individual commissioners can give to schools and hospitals. But neither that program, nor the utility program, reached all who needed it, Lewis said. He added that the third-party program would have helped all energy customers in the state, not just customers chosen by the utilities. States with independent efficiency programs, including Hawaii, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Vermont, 'have delivered enormous amounts of savings to their customers. Louisiana was taking a significant step forward in moving to this model,' Bradley-Wright said. In Wisconsin, for example, the state-run and utility-funded Focus on Energy program provides rebates and incentives for homeowners and businesses to install energy-efficient appliances, add renewable energy such as solar and wind, and optimize building energy efficiency. Aptim, which holds the now-canceled Louisiana contract, administers Wisconsin's program, which says it has provided $1 billion in net economic benefit to customers since its inception in 2011. While the commission voted to terminate the contracts, it postponed further decisions on what, if any, energy-efficiency programs would remain in Louisiana. Said Burke after the meeting: 'I'm just infuriated to see people who are elected to do a public service to watch over public goods are making messy decisions that harm directly the people they are elected to serve." Louisiana Illuminator reporter Wesley Muller contributed to this report. Floodlight is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana Energy Efficiency Program scrapped after lengthy Public Service Commission meeting
MANY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana's Energy Efficiency Program is being halted after the state's Public Service Commission voted on Wednesday to do away with a program they approved less than a year ago. The vote effectively ends all state-mandated energy efficiency programs, reverting energy efficiency to a voluntary program that consumers must seek out through their power providers. Northwest Louisiana's Public Service Commissioner, Foster Campbell, voted against eliminating the program approved in late April 2024, largely because he felt the commission did not fully understand what it was voting for. 'It's four o'clock in the afternoon and everybody is arguing about this that and the other and I don't want to vote for something that I don't fully understand,' said Campbell. 'So I can't vote for this at this particular time.' Extensive solar power project unveild in N. Louisiana The Public Service Commission meeting held at Cypress Bend Resort in Many, Louisiana, lasted more than five hours. Nearly an hour was spent on discussions and testimony from the agenda item sponsored by Commissioner Mike Francis, who added the item to the agenda on Monday. In the end, the state's energy efficiency program was canceled by a 3 to 2 vote. The program focused not on energy costs, but rather on making homes and businesses more energy efficient. The program required the Public Service Commission to hold energy companies accountable with specific energy savings goals. Home and business energy efficiency improvements, including appliance upgrades, new air conditioning units, and insulation, were considered key to achieving savings goals, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. Opponents say the contracts for the program were far too expensive, and the previously used 'Quick Start' Energy Program, overseen by utility companies Cleco and SWEPCO, was a better answer. 'When we have looked at the third party administrator across the country we have found that the cost per kilowatt hour savings on those third party administrators are significantly higher than the programs that are currently in place under the utility led programs in Louisiana,' said Mark Kleehammer, General Counsel & Chief Regulatory Officer for Cleco. 'I would ask that you consider maintaining the utility-led programs. We have been doing energy efficiency for 10 years. We commented on this before that the biggest misnomer about the utility-led 'Quick Start' program is that it's a quick start. We are in year 10 of these programs, and since we've started, for CLECO power only, our budget has increased by 119%, our KW (kilowatt) savings have increased by 296%.' Those advocating for the Energy Efficiency Program to stay say it addressed the true causes of power waste. 'We are decades behind on addressing energy waste. It doesn't matter how low the rate is if we are just throwing our money out the crack around our doors and windows. The auditor also pointed out that this commission is taking steps to address high energy bills through this efficiency program,' said Logan Burke, Executive Director, Alliance for Affordable Energy. 'The rational thing to do is to address the waste. The right thing to do is to ensure that people have the tools they need. So why would we stop this effort in it's tracks?' Now that the program is canceled, the commission voted to have the state revert back to the old 'Quick Start' Energy Program until the end of 2025. A commission vote at later time will determine if the 'Quick Start' program continues beyond the end of the year. 'Quick Start' allows customers to receive cost offsets and rebates for items that improve a home's energy efficiency. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana Commissioner calls constitutional amendment #2 ‘foolish'
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Louisiana Commissioner Foster Campbell calls the upcoming constitutional amendment #2 'foolish' to fund teacher pay raises by destroying a savings account that benefits public and private schools. Louisiana voters will vote on four amendments on March 29. However, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Campbell says Amendment #2 is 'irresponsible' and will 'destroy' the savings account that has funded schools for over 30 years. According to an independent study, 'Amendment two would double the standard individual income tax deduction for anyone 65 and older and lower the cap on the overall individual income tax rate that can be charged.' According to Campbell, he helped allocate $500,000 of casino tax revenue to create the Bossier Educational Excellence Fund 'BEEF.' Campbell says thanks to BEEF, the Bossier Parish School Board helped secure the casino revenue to invest each year towards classrooms that need essential supplies to pay for computers, art supplies, and other classroom enhancements. Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana states, 'A vote yes would rewrite large portions of the Louisiana Constitution article dealing with revenue collections, the state budget process, savings accounts, and taxation rules.' A no vote would keep the current rules and limitations on tax breaks. Lawsuit challenging Louisiana constitutional amendment dismissed by state's high court Campbell says, 'BEEF was my model for the Louisiana Educational Excellence Fund. With help from my fellow Democrat Randy Ewing and Republican colleagues, including John Hainkel and Jay Dardenne, the Legislature dedicated $1 billion of the $4-billion Tobacco Settlement to the EEF.' He says the BEEF fund now has a balance of $482 million, which will help pay for classroom essentials each year. Additionally, Campbell states, 'During my 27-year Senate tenure, I recognized the challenges faced by our teachers and voted for every teacher pay raise. Our teachers today need better pay, but it is foolish to fund raises by destroying a savings account that yields continuing benefits each year for school children in our public and private schools.' He ends the news release telling voters, 'Don't fool with a good thing.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
