Mississippi Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Update

Mississippi Issues

Utilities Submit Annual Quick Start Energy Efficiency Program Reports

Per the MPSC Conservation and Energy Efficiency Programs Rule 29, all regulated electric and natural gas utilities must file an Annual Report outlining the performance of all energy efficiency programs by May 1st of each year. Utilities have now completed three full calendar years (2015-2017) of offering energy efficiency programs through the Quick Start portfolio. These customer-funded programs have been providing a range of services, rebates, direct installs and technical assistance to residential, commercial and industrial customers. We have reviewed the Annual Reports and have provide you a summary of program demand savings, energy savings, incentives paid and administration costs.

Entergy Mississippi, Inc. (2014-UA-6) – Entergy Mississippi, Inc. (EMI) serves approximately 447,000 customers in 45 of Mississippi's 82 counties. In 2017, EMI spent $6,291,195 on Quick Start program costs which is 81% of the proposed budget of $7,749,055, and is $337,813 more than 2016 expenditures of $5,953,382. In 2017, EMI achieved net annual energy savings of 25,316,000 kWh, which is 29.67% less than program year 2016 net energy savings of 35,996,000 kWh.

Mississippi Power Co. (2014-UN-10) – Mississippi Power Company (MPCo) serves approximately 187,732 customers in 23 of Mississippi’s 82 counties. MPCo had a total of $3,988,989 in Quick Start program expenses in 2017 (approved budget was $4,259,094) representing 0.5% of annual revenues. In 2016, MPCo spent $4,061,678. In 2017, MPCo achieved net annual energy savings of 18,333,258 kWh (representing 0.2% of annual energy sales), which is more than 2016 annual energy savings of 17,830,565 kWh.

Cooperative Energy [formerly SMEPA] (2014-UA-18) – Cooperative Energy (CE) provides electrical power for 11 electric distribution cooperatives who in turn serve approximately 427,000 customers in 55 of Mississippi’s 82 counties. Several distribution cooperatives do not meet the minimum customers (members) numbers required to implement energy efficiency programs under Rule 29. For those cooperatives that do provide energy efficiency programs to their members, the net annual energy savings achieved as a ratio of program administration expenditures is a mixed bag. Some cooperatives with high program expenditures achieved relatively low annual energy savings. Meanwhile, some cooperatives with low program expenditures achieved relatively high annual energy savings.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) –TVA provides electrical power to 14 municipal and 14 cooperatively owned utilities located primarily in the northern half of Mississippi. Six cooperatives meet the minimum number of customers (members) that triggers the requirement for energy efficiency programs. The impacted cooperatives achieved very respectable annual energy savings with minimal program incentives expended.

Atmos Energy (2014-UN-17) – Atmos Energy (Atmos) spent $1,305,788 to achieve an annual energy savings of 706,409 therms in 2017. In 2016, Atmos spent $1,142,761 to achieve an annual energy savings of 531,759 therms.

CenterPoint Energy (2014-UA-7) – CenterPoint Energy (CenterPoint) spent $673,460 to achieve an annual energy savings of 253,372 therms in 2017. In 2016, CenterPoint spent $708,868 to achieve an annual energy savings of 257,092 therms. CenterPoint’s 2017 program costs represent 0.87% of annual revenues and energy savings represent 0.28% of annual energy sales.

By the numbers: Summary of Total Program Costs and Annual Energy and Demand Savings below.

2017 Energy Efficiency Portfolio Statistics

Utility Docket Number

Rule 29 Annual Report

Total Program Costs

Net Annual Energy Savings (kWh)

Demand Savings (MW)

Electric Utilities Entergy Mississippi 2014-UA-6 Report $6,291,195 25,316,000 4.30

Mississippi Power Company 2014-UN-10 Report $3,988,989 18,333,258 4.44

Cooperative Energy Association Members Coahoma Electric Power Association

2014-UA-18

Report

Exh. A $12,000 0 0

Coast Electric Power Association Exh. B $740,235 5,531,000 0.947

Delta Electric Power Association Exh. C $2,107 209,000 0.045

Dixie Electric Power Association Exh. D $242,678 1,144,000 0.225

Magnolia Electric Power Association

Exh. E $74,052 1,704,000 0.392

Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association

Exh. F $180,241 550,000 0.162

Singing River Electric Power Association

Exh. G $1,035,513 1,083,000 106.2

Southern Pine Electric Power Association

Exh. H $633,373 519,000 0.183

Southwest Mississippi Electric Power Association

Exh. I $5,634, 800 0.0001

Twin County Electric Power Association

Exh. J $1,005 0 0

Yazoo Valley Electric Power Association

Exh. K $3,500 0 0

Local Power Companies in Tennessee Valley Authority Distribution Area Central Electric Power Association 2014-UA-16 Report $142,277* 3,022,795 0.487

East Mississippi Electric Power Association

2014-UA-5 Report $124,82 33,500 0.00481

4-County Electric Power Association 2014-UA-15 Report $143,019* 1,845,616 2.579

Northcentral Mississippi Electric Power Association

2014-UA-13 Report $161,597* 2,397,836 0.323

Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association

2014-UA-12 Report $116,888* 2,161,560 0.216

Tombigbee Electric Power Association

2014-UA-14 Report $289,536* 4,782,229 0.210

Natural Gas Utilities

Utility Total Program Costs

Energy Savings (Therms)

Demand Savings (Therms)

Atmos Energy 2014-UN-17 Report $1,305,788 706,409 2,390

CenterPoint Energy 2014-UA-7 Report $673,460 253,372 2,779

*Represent incentive costs only

Summary: Electric utilities’ energy efficiency programs helped customers reduce energy use by

68,633,594 kWh and reduced Mississippi’s peak demand by over 120 MW (some utilities include

demand response in their savings calculations). While these figures may sound impressive, we could be

doing so much more to reduce energy demand and increase savings. But the MPSC has allowed all

utilities to delay implementation of next phase of comprehensive energy efficiency programs.

If the recent heat and humidity across Mississippi is any indication, we’re in for a long, hot summer. And

with the heat, comes high energy bills for many households trying to stay cool. So why would the MPSC

continue to drag its feet on energy efficiency programs? Especially when many people remember the

high energy bills from the record cold snap in late winter. This demonstrates that our aging housing

stock is in need of expanded energy efficiency and weatherization programs.

Furthermore, the MISO South area that includes all Entergy operating companies and all Cooperative

Energy distribution cooperatives has already issued two “Max Gen” alerts in 2018. The first alert took

place January 17-18 due to record cold, high demand loads, and unavailable generation resources. The

second declared alert took place on May 14-16 because of above normal temps and unavailable

generation resources. These Max Gen events demonstrate a need for greater energy efficiency across

all customer classes so as to avoid these threats to reliability.

Not only do we need to see energy efficiency programs expanded, we also need long-term energy

savings targets for each utility put in place. Following the great example of Arkansas, Mississippi could

become the next energy efficiency leader in the southeast.

MPSC Regular Meeting and Docket Call – May 8

The MPSC met on May 8, 2018, at 10 am in the MPSC Hearing Room (agenda). Items of interest to

energy and consumer stakeholders:

Mississippi Power Co. (Docket No. 2018-UN-42) – Filing of Ad Valorem Tax Adjustment Factor: The

Ad Valorem Tax Adjustment recovers or refunds any difference between property taxes included in the

Company’s base rates and those actually paid. A requested increase of approximately $8.3 million is

driven largely by an under recovery in collections of $4.5 million from the prior year plus a 5.0% increase

in the assessed value of the tax base. The new factor (.3188 cents per kWh to .4039 cents per kWh) will

increase an average 1,000 kWh residential customer’s bill by approximately 85 cents per month. The

MPSC issued an Order approving MPCo’s factor adjustment by a 3-0 vote. No Kemper facilities are

included in the tax factor.

CenterPoint Energy Resources Corp (Docket No. 2014-UA-7) – Application for Approval of

Modifications to CenterPoint Energy’s Energy Efficiency Program Portfolio Plan for 2018: For program

year 2018, CenterPoint plans to add two new programs and to modify two of their existing

programs. The two new programs include a Thermostat Program and a Weatherization Kit Program.

The modifications to its existing programs include small budget increases of the Commercial and

Industrial (C&I) Programs, and higher rebate amounts in the existing Space Heating, Water Heating, and

New Home Construction programs for dwellings that qualify as affordable housing. The program

changes will result in an increase of approximately $154,000 for the overall portfolio of programs for

2018. The program changes will increase an average CenterPoint customer’s bill by 5 cents per month.

The MPSC issued an Order approving CenterPoint’s application by a 2-1 vote.

Mississippi Power Co. (Docket No. 2014-UN-10) – Notice of Intent of Mississippi Power Company to

Establish the Energy Efficiency Quick Start Plan and Cost Recovery Clause: For program year 2018, MS

Power Co. (MPCo) has requested 2018 Quick Start Plan Budget of approximately $4.5 million.

Modifications made with the program portfolio requires an increase of $134,957 to the 2018 Quick Start

Plan budget over last year. The effect on the average monthly residential customer bill is an increase of

28 cents per month. The MPSC issued an Order approving MPCo’s application by a 2-1 vote.

Order Establishing Docket to investigate the development and adoption of an Integrated

Resource Planning Rule (Docket No. 2018-AD-64): The MS Public Service Commission issued an

Order that establishes a docket to investigate and consider the development and adoption of a rule

defining an Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process for regulated electric utilities in Mississippi. IRP

is a comprehensive study that provides direction on how to best meet future electricity demand in a

service territory. Currently, 33 states require utilities to file IRPs with their state public utility

commissions. IRP requirements vary by state, but generally address resource needs for a 20 year

planning horizon and must be updated every two to three years. One of the Commission's primary

motivations for the development of a formal IRP rule is the desire for transparency.

Stakeholders are invited to intervene and become parties to the docket as well as submit written

testimony or comments regarding the development and adoption of a rule defining an IRP process for

Mississippi. This is a huge step for Mississippi electric customers and I encourage you to give attention

to this matter and file for intervener status. 25x’25 has filed to intervene in the process to encourage

renewable energy and energy efficiency to be given equal consideration in energy resource evaluation

and planning. Stakeholders have until approximately July 13 to intervene and submit testimony or

comments.

Issuance of Request for Proposal for an Independent Consultant to Perform a Study

Calculating the Actual Benefits of Distributed Generation in Mississippi per the Mississippi

Renewable Energy Net Metering Rule (Docket No. 2011-AD-2): The MPSC issued a Request for

Proposals (RFP) seeking an independent contractor to conduct a study on the actual benefits of

distributed generation in Mississippi. This study is required Mississippi per the Mississippi Renewable

Energy Net Metering Rule. Studies of this nature have been conducted across the nation with varying

levels of net benefits and costs concluded to occur. The proposal due date was May 25. The contract

will be awarded on June 5. The project period will be from July 2018 to December 3, 2018. Funding for

the study will be collected from the utilities.

Order on Sierra Club’s Request for Discovery and Rebuttal Comments Regarding Entergy’s and

Mississippi Power’s Positions to Delay Implementation of Energy Efficiency Programs (Docket

No. 2010-AD-2): The MPSC issued an Order denying Sierra Club’s Request for Discovery on grounds

that 1) the MPSC is not convinced that the request is proper at this time and 2) that the Administrative

Procedures Act does not provide a pathway for discovery in a rulemaking proceeding.

Order Opening a Review Docket for Mississippi Power Co. (Docket No. 2018-AD-68): At its

April 10, 2018 Open Meeting, the MPSC ruled that it will be the policy of the Commission to order

operations reviews of investor-owned utilities in advance of anticipated rate cases for those utilities.

The overall purpose of such a review is to promote and encourage efficient and effective utility

management decisions. Under this Order, the MPSC will issue a Request for Proposals seeking proposals

from firms qualified to conduct an operations review of Mississippi Power Co.

Next General Meeting of the MPSC will take place on June 5, 2018, at 10 am in the Woolfolk Building.

Pastor Proposes Building Solar on Contaminated Site in Columbus, MS

For years, the MDEQ and EPA have been working to remediate the soil contamination left behind at the

former Kerr-McGee chemical plant in Columbus, MS. While the property may never be able to be used

for residential or commercial purposes, a local church leader is pushing to cover some of the property

with solar panels. Solar is clean, quiet and will generate tax revenues. However, planners are finding

that coordinating the project among Columbus Light and Water, 4-County EPA, TVA and the site

remediation trust company is not as simple as it might appear. Solar on brownfield sites seem to make

sense.

Save the Date for Energy Awareness Day – October 4, 2018

The Energy & Natural Resources Division of the Mississippi Development Authority will host its annual

Energy Awareness Day on Thursday, October 4th from 9 am – 12 noon at the MS Agriculture & Forestry

Museum on Lakeland Drive. Once again, they are preparing for 1,000 Mississippi students, teachers and

consumers to learn about the many opportunities available to them in the energy sector. The Division is

seeking sponsors and volunteers. Please complete the sponsorship and registration online at the

following link: https://mississippi.cvent.com/EnergyAwarenessDay18.

Regional Issues

TVA Ups its Fixed Rates While Reducing Wholesale Power Rates

TVA provides power for the entire state of Tennessee and parts of six bordering states, among other

services. The TVA Board voted unanimously recently to change the agency’s rate structure, cutting its

wholesale power rate by a half-cent per kilowatt-hour, and imposing a fixed half-cent “grid access fee”

per kWh instead. Opponents argue that this shift in rates will benefit industrial users, add more costs to

residential and small business customers, and discourage renewable energy and energy efficiency

investments.

Sunbelt States Make Life Difficult for Those Wanting Solar

A new report. Throwing Shade – 10 Sunny States Blocking Distributive Solar Development – 2018

Edition, sheds light on primarily states that dampen rooftop solar through bad policies. Most states

examined are in the South, including our neighbors Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee. Throwing Shade

estimates these states should technically account for about 1/3 of the rooftop solar market in the U.S.

Instead, this group accounts for only 7.5% of the national market. For some reason, Mississippi was not

included in this assessment despite having little to no solar-supporting policies.

However, the Cheat Sheet ran through each of the 50 state’s solar potential in Google’s solar mapping

project and matched the worst with the grades each got for solar-friendly policy. Guess what?

Mississippi came in at #5 for states that continue to miss out on the energy savings provided by solar.

Per the data, 77% of buildings are ready for solar installations. Meanwhile, they estimate 100% of

Mississippi workers are ready for the sort of good-paying jobs the solar industry brings.

Groups Files Complaints Saying Fees Tied to Solar are ‘Unlawful’ in Alabama

Attorneys recently filed a complaint with the Alabama Public Service Commission against Alabama

Power over extra fees the power company imposes on homes, schools, and small businesses that use

solar power. The complaint calls the five-year-old fees “unlawful” and “contrary to the public interest.”

Alabama Power charges an extra $5-per-kilowatt monthly fee for people who use solar. For an average

solar-owning customer, that’s about $30 a month.

Louisiana Energy Antics

Just when you think things couldn’t things couldn’t get any weirder in Louisiana: It turns out that an

Entergy public relations contractor ACTUALLY DID hire actors to show up at public hearings to give the

impression of robust public support for a proposed power plant to be built in New Orleans. However,

Entergy swears they knew nothing about it. Opponents to the power plant want to see increased

investments in energy efficiency measures and alternative energy resources.

It has also come to light that Alabama Power has utilized the same public relations contractor since the

mid 1990’s and has paid them millions in compensation. But Alabama Power maintains that no people

were paid to attend public meetings.

Arkansas Solar

I drove past this solar installation that is located next to grain silos in Southeast Arkansas. I estimate it to be about a 10 kW system containing 5 rows of about 50 panels per row. Arkansas offers true net metering for the time being.

Arkansas Stakeholders File Energy Saving Targets Recommendations

The Parties Working Collaboratively (PWC) stakeholder work group has submitted recommedations to the AR PSC for energy efficiency program years 2020-2022. The PWC reached consensus on a 0.5% net savings goal for natural gas utilities. However, dual recommendations of 1.0% and 1.2% net savings goals were put forth by dueling sectors of the PWC. The AR Commission will review all the recommendation and adopt savings targets by Aug. 1, 2018.

Colonial Nissan (Virginia) Builds Solar Superstructure

Colonial Nissan is believed to be the first car dealership in Virginia using solar power. The rooftop solar

array will be able to generate 93% of the electricity needed to run the dealership.

“Smart Neighborhood” in Alabama Taking Shape

Reynolds Landing in Hoover, Alabama will feature 62 homes with the latest construction technologies,

smart appliances, high efficiency systems and connected features. Nearly half the homes are

constructed and occupied. Furthermore, the neighborhood will be powered by 3 acres of solar panels, a

bank of batteries, and a backup natural gas generator located just down the street.

North Carolina Biogas Microgrid Goes Online

The Butler Quality Pork and Renewable Energy Farm hosts a new microgrid that can be “islanded” to

power just the farm, or the farm and 28 nearby homes in the event of a power outage. Ultimately, the

microgrid will be able to sustain 150 homes. The microgrid ties together a 250-kilowatt battery system,

20 kilowatts of solar panels, a 100-kilowatt diesel generator, and a 185-kilowatt biogas generator. The

state and local Electric Membership Corporation were partners in the project and look to replicate

across the state.

Norman First Oklahoma City to Commit to 100% Renewables

The city council of Norman, Oklahoma, home of the Oklahoma Sooners, has committed to fully use clean

energy like wind and solar for electricity by 2035, and across all sectors including heat and

transportation by 2050. Oklahoma is 2nd in the nation in wind energy generation.

Minnesota Implements Statewide B20 Blends

Minnesota has become the first state to transform virtually all of the diesel supply for sale to B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel. The transition to B20 happened gradually, from the first statewide requirement of 2 percent biodiesel (B2) implemented in 2005, to B5 four years later, and B10 since 2014. This helped ensure sufficient blending infrastructure and education statewide. Over the last 10 years, Minnesota has seen a measurable reduction in emissions.

California Approves Solar Mandate for New Homes

The California Energy Commission approved a change to its building code with a 5-0 vote to require solar power installations on all new residential buildings. The rule applies to new homes, condos and apartment buildings of three stories high or less, effective of January 1, 2020. The Commission estimates that the standards will add about $40 to an average monthly payment over a 30-year period but essentially save consumers $80 on monthly heating, cooling and lighting bills. While the mandate received the support of homebuilder and solar trade associations as well as several large utilities, concerns regarding affordable home availabilty persist.

National Issues

As Conventional Generation Retires, What Should Replace It?

Nearly half (~500 GW) of the existing thermal electric generation fleet (i.e., coal-, nuclear-, and gas-fired power plants) is likely to retire by 2030, leading to a gap in generation capacity that will need to be addressed with new investment. So, what should they be replaced with? The Rocky Mountain Institute has released a new study it says shows distributed renewable can provide reliable electrical energy to the US and do it for the same or less money than conventional resources.

Wind and Solar Dominated New Electric Capacity Additions 1Q 2018

According to the FERC Energy Infrastructure Update for March 2018, in the first three months of 2018, 16 wind farms totaling 1,793 Megawatts (MW) represented 53% of the new capacity coming online, and 92 solar projects with a combined capacity of 1,356 MW represented another 40%. With rounding, 94% of new utility-scale capacity installed was wind and solar. If additions of behind the meter distributed generation were included in the figures, the percentage would likely be slightly higher.

Energy Sector Jobs Increased by 2% in 2017; Energy Efficiency Create Most New Jobs

The nation’s energy sector employed 6.5 million Americans in 2017, up 133,000 jobs from the year prior, according to the 2018 U.S. Energy & Employment Report (USEER). The USEER analyzes four sectors of the U.S. economy: Electric Power Generation and Fuels Production; Transmission, Distribution and Storage; Energy Efficiency; and, Motor Vehicles. The report provides a quantitative lens with which to evaluate the employment impact of new energy technologies, shifting fuels deployment and efficiency, and evolving transmission and distribution systems. It also presents a unique snapshot of energy efficiency employment.

The USEER also provides individual state snapshots that are useful for understanding job numbers. Mississippi has 27,704 traditional energy workers statewide (4,683 are in Electric Power Generation, 11,411 are in Fuels, and 11,610 are in Transmission, Distribution, and Storage) and represents 2.5% of the state workforce. Mississippi has an additional 15,055 jobs in Energy Efficiency and 25,304 jobs in Motor Vehicles. See pages 123-128 in the state report.

U.S. Energy Sources, Consumption and Waste

Every year, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) produces a new energy flow chart showing the sources of US energy, what it’s used for, and how much of it is wasted. Below is the U.S. energy flow diagram. One of the first things you may notice is that two-thirds of the potential energy embedded in our energy sources ended up wasted in 2017. That is mostly in the form of heat lost through

thermoelectric power generation and mechanical inefficiency of vehicles. In other words, we capture and productively use about 31% of the total energy consumed in the U.S.

In the above chart, energy use is measured in “Quads.” What is a “quad?” A “quad” is one quadrillion (a thousand trillion) BTUs. Here are a few things equivalent to a quad:

8,007,000,000 gallons (US) of gasoline 293,071,000,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) 36,000,000 metric tons of coal 970,434,000,000 cubic feet of natural gas 25,200,000 metric tons of oil

So a quad is a lot of energy.

At the state level, energy use is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs). What is a BTU? A BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.

So, what does Mississippi’s energy use picture look like? Except for zero wind and hydro, Mississippi’s energy use map looks very similar (at least proportionally) to that of the nation. Like the U.S., Mississippi uses a high proportion of petroleum and natural gas. Coal, nuclear and biomass also have respectable use profiles. And like the U.S. as a whole, Mississippi wastes a lot of energy. We capture and productively use about 38% of the total energy consumed in Mississippi. Check out the Energy Flow Chart for Mississippi (2014) below.

House Farm Bill Fails to Advance

On April 18, the House Agriculture Committee passed the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2) out of committee along party lines, in a 26 to 20 vote. The 650 page draft bill eliminates the Energy Title. Many of the existing bioenergy-related programs were reauthorized under the Rural Development Title, but provides them with only discretionary funding.

During House floor debate, an amendment to strip all renewable energy and energy efficiency programs from the Farm Bill was introduced. The “Biggs amendment” failed 75-340 (a 5:1 defeat!) which is a great vote of support for the programs currently found in the Energy Title of the 2014 Farm Bill.

However, once all amendments were dispatched and the full bill was put to a vote, the bill was defeated 198-213. Republican conservatives joined a massive block of Democratic opponents to defeat the bill, an upset that could prevent Congress from enacting a farm bill this year. Republican Freedom Caucus voted against the farm bill in order to force a vote on an immigration bill. Democrats opposed the bill because it failed to strengthen the farm safety net and would impose stricter work requirements on food stamp recipients.

The Senate Agriculture Committee had anticipated marking up their proposed Farm Bill in May, but it has not yet unveiled its version and are now looking towards June. You can bet that they will see what occurred in the House and work to craft a bill that avoids the partisan split.

Do Low Rates Mean Low Bills? Not Always

Last month, I showed you the U.S. Chamber of Commerce chart of average electricity retail prices. Electricity rates have been falling across the nation thanks to low fuel prices, tax reform and renewable energy. To refresh your memory, I have attached the chart below:

When comparing to Energy Information Administration data, on thing becomes clear: Many states have low electricity prices but their residents pay more to power their homes, and other states have high electric prices and low consumer bills. This is especially true in the Southeast. But the occurrence of high prices paired with high bills is rare. So, who has the highest rates and highest bills?

Ten highest retail electricity prices by state, per kilowatt-hour: Hawaii, Alaska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, California, Rhode Island, Vermont, New York, New Jersey.

Ten highest average monthly household electricity bills by state: Alabama, South Carolina, Connecticut, Maryland, Hawaii, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and Delaware (Mississippi is #12).

Ten lowest retail electricity prices by state, per kilowatt-hour: Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Washington, Arkansas, Missouri, Idaho, Nebraska, Utah and Kentucky.

Top ten states in electricity spending as a percentage of personal spending: Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

In other words, a state’s low rate won’t necessarily make your electricity cheap.

Increase Energy Efficiency to Reduce Energy Burden

Energy efficiency measures that reduce energy consumption is an easy way to lower power bills. Insulating homes, swapping incandescent bulbs for LEDs, and replacing aging appliances all reduce energy use. What is the best investment to reduce energy bills? Tighten up or replace HVAC ducts. A recent study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) revealed that duct leakage is the No. 1

energy-robbing fault of buildings today. Duct leakage was found to be about 50% higher in terms of wasted energy costs than leaving HVAC or lights on in a building after occupants leave.

Corporations are Acquiring More Clean Power than Ever Before

AT&T Inc. and Walmart Inc., government agencies and universities have agreed to buy 3.3 gigawatts of wind and solar power so far this year. That’s on track to shatter the previous high of 4.8 gigawatts of disclosed deals in 2017, according to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Even smaller companies have benefited from growing standardization in the ways companies agree to buy clean energy.

Source: Bloomberg New Energy Finance Note: 2018 total through April 30. All totals are for disclosed deals.

Analysis: Ethanol Saves Consumers Money at the Pump

The U.S. Energy Information Administration is warning drivers that they are likely to see the highest gasoline prices in four years. However, ethanol is helping to offset higher prices according to a new analysis. The analysis of wholesale gasoline and ethanol price data shows that blending E10 has reduced wholesale gasoline prices by at least 27 cents per gallon, or 14 percent, compared to ethanol-free gasoline (E0).

National Voter Support for Clean Energy Continues to Grow

According to newly released polling commissioned by the Conservative Energy Network (CEN), voters are supportive of our nation’s clean energy transition, understand the inevitability of such a transition, and desire policies that encourage it—in contrast with many politicians seeking the status quo. The poll also showed overwhelming voter support for encouraging competition in the electricity market. Voters rank energy efficiency upgrades as the most important policy objective at 93 percent, followed by community solar at 89 percent, net metering/rooftop solar at 87 percent, data access to monitor energy usage at 85 percent, and allowing third party sales at 80 percent.

In a new Pew Research poll, large majorities of Americans favor expanding at least two types of renewable sources to provide energy: solar panel (89%) and wind turbine (85%) facilities. Robust support for expanding solar and wind power represents a rare point of bipartisan consensus in how the U.S. views energy policies. A majority of Americans also support increasing reliance on renewable energy sources (71%), as well as reducing dependence on foreign energy sources (69%) and keeping consumer energy costs low (66%).