State regulators will vote next week on new rules that would require utility companies to implement various power-saving measures and technologies, reports Louisiana Illuminator.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is expected to adopt the long-awaited energy efficiency resource standards, or EERS, when it convenes Wednesday. The commission hired a consultant more than a decade ago to write the policy and allow Louisiana to join the majority of other states that have successfully implemented similar programs.
“It’s going to be great for the people of Louisiana,” Commissioner Davanté Lewis says.
The commission has paid more than $700,000 to Georgia-based consulting firm J. Kennedy & Associates to create the policy, which has seen several delays over the years. Some commissioners accused the consultant of writing rules that benefit the utility companies rather than the customers, prompting them to request revisions to the final draft.
The EERS are the second phase of what’s called the “Quick Start” program. The first phase, adopted in 2012, was voluntary for utility companies and encouraged utilities to spend small amounts on rudimentary initiatives such as customer rebates for more efficient light bulbs.
As drafted, the new policy would be mandatory for utilities under the commission’s jurisdiction, including Entergy Louisiana and Cleco. It would require them to contribute up to 1.5% of their revenue to fund the program and meet certain energy savings targets each year.
However, the utility companies can pass their costs down to their customers and have been doing so for years. Entergy Louisiana customers can find the energy efficiency fees on their monthly bill under the line items “Rider EECR-QS” and “Rider EECR-PE.”
