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Thursday, November 17, 2011 Carly Mercer, Maryland PIRG

10:00 A.M. (410) 467-9389 office, (410) 227-6990 cell

cmercer@marylandpirg.org

College Park – Energy efficiency programs in the state saved Maryland ratepayers $60 million on electricity costs in 2010 and have boosted job creation. These findings come from a new report tracking Maryland’s progress towards statewide energy efficiency goals, released today by Maryland PIRG Foundation, the statewide consumer group.

According to the report, “A Smart Solution: EmPOWER is Saving Energy, Saving Money, and Boosting Our Economy,” energy efficiency incentives offered through utilities and the state government have helped consumers lower their bills, have saved ratepayers money by avoiding the need for costly transmission and generation projects, and have helped businesses expand. 

“These programs are working and Marylanders are seeing the benefits,” said Maryland PIRG  Associate Carly Mercer. “Unfortunately we’re not even halfway to our goal- think about the energy savings and job creation we’d be seeing if we were on track.”

The General Assembly passed the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act in 2008, which set a statewide goal of reducing per capita electricity consumption 15% by 2015. Two-thirds of those savings must come from utility companies, which are regulated by the Public Service Commission. The utilities are falling behind on this goal- if they continue at their current pace they will only achieve 46% of their goals for electricity savings.

Students at the University of Maryland also understand the need for energy efficiency programs- they recently held a “Greek Energy Week” where MaryPIRG chapter students in the Energy Service Corps program provided fraternity houses with simple weatherization and efficiency upgrades, challenging the residents to reduce their energy use. 

“By providing easy and low-cost access to weatherization and efficiency tools, Energy Service Corps saves consumers money, makes their homes more comfortable, and teaches students about the benefits of energy efficiency,” said Brandi Goff, MaryPIRG Energy Service Corps Campaign Coordinator.

Students appreciate seeing the benefits of energy efficiency up-close and learning how to save money on their utility bills. 

“MaryPIRG is taking the initiative to reach out to students, and greeks in particular, to help prepare students for owning a home - while being environmentally and financially aware,” said Jimmy Gray, President of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, whose fraternity house was recently weatherized.

Ensuring the success of these types of programs and meeting our EmPOWER goals is critical to moving Maryland forward:

Proposals to build two new high-voltage transmission lines into Maryland have been scrapped in the past year because electricity demand dropped enough that the new power lines are not needed, saving Maryland consumers $48 per household per year with the postponement of the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) line

On the hottest day of the summer 2011 heat wave, energy efficiency and demand-side programs helped reduce electricity consumption by BGE customers, ensuring that the region didn’t experience blackouts. Had a blackout occurred, the cost to the economy would have been huge.

An estimated 29 year-long jobs are created for every $1 million invested in energy efficiency, meaning that the $100 million that Maryland’s electric utilities and customers invested in energy efficiency as of September 2010 has created 2,920 jobs.

In order to maximize the positive effects energy efficiency can have on our economy, the PSC must hold utilities accountable for meeting their timelines and approve better and broader programs. To better facilitate these programs, the state should restore funding for energy efficiency projects and coordinate programs statewide. 

“Energy efficiency programs put $60 million back in Marylanders’ wallets in 2010, and are giving our job market a needed boost,” said Mercer. “This is only the beginning of the benefits we’ll see by prioritizing energy efficiency, and a green light for the Public Service Commission to hold utilities accountable to efficiency goals.”