State Energy Efficiency Policy Database

Customers of New York’s regulated electric distribution utilities and natural gas utilities support the statewide energy efficiency and other public benefits energy programs.  These utilities include: Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corporation, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., New York State Electric and Gas Corporation, Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E), National Fuel Distribution Corporation, Corning National Gas Corporation, St, Lawrence Gas, Company, Inc., KeySpan Energy Delivery New York and KeySpan Energy Delivery Long Island.

Customers pay a non-bypassable system benefits charge (SBC) on their utility bills. A non-bypassable charge is a charge applied to all customer bills in a given region whether they receive service from a local utility or from a competitive supplier. The New York system benefits charge supports a comprehensive set of programs for customers, including residential, multifamily, low-income, commercial/industrial, and research and development programs. A state government authority, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), administers the SBC programs, collectively known as "New York Energy $mart™." NYSERDA and its contractors implement the programs. The New York Public Service Commission’s (NYPSC’s) June 2008 Order Establishing Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) and Approving Programs (Case 07-M-0548) allows the utility companies to administer some of the new, fast-track and expedited programs. Two public power authorities, the New York Power Authority and the Long Island Power Authority, also offer SBC-funded programs.

New York’s energy efficiency programs are the result of NYPSC cases dating back to 1996. On May 20, 1996, in Opinion No. 96-12, Cases 94-E-0952 et al., the NYPSC initiated a statewide system benefits energy efficiency program including natural gas and electric programs. On January 30, 1998, in Opinion No. 98-3, Case 94-E-0952, the NYPSC established SBC funding levels for July 1, 1998 to June 30, 2001 and named NYSERDA as administrator of the programs. A July 2, 1998 NYPSC order set the final budget for the 1998-2001 New York Energy $mart™ programs. Approximately seventy-five percent of the budget was allotted to electric and gas energy efficiency programs. (RG&E ran its own SBC-type programs for this first three-year period). A NYPSC Order, issued January 24, 2001 in Case 94-E-0952, continued and expanded the SBC programs from July 2002 through June 2006 and funded the programs at $150 million per year.

On December 14, 2005, the NYPSC issued an order in Case 05-M-0090 approving a five-year extension of the SBC program from 2006-2011. New York Energy $mart™ programs were funded at approximately $175 million annually. Approximately seventy-five percent of the budget was allotted to electric and gas energy efficiency programs.

The NYPSC’s June 2008 Order Establishing Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) and Approving Programs (Case 07-M-0548) supported a 15% reduction in electricity usage by 2015. The order approved specific "fast track" energy efficiency programs for immediate implementation, required utilities to file energy efficiency and load management programs consistent with the order, and directed utilities to collect $159 million per year for electric programs and $13.2 million for natural gas programs. This funding will support the EEPS through 2011. The incremental funds are being collected through the SBC.

The New York Energy$mart  program provides an interest rate reduction off of a participating lender’s normal interest rate for a term up to 10 years for projects in all sectors.  NYSERDA offers Green Jobs–Green New York loans for the installation of eligible energy efficiency measures in owner-occupied 1-4 family homes.  NYSERDA also operates the Residential Loan Fund, which provides low-interest financing through a network of lenders to support the installation of qualified energy efficiency improvements in existing 1-4 family homes. 

More information on these programs can be found in the ACEEE report, Energy Efficiency Financing Programs.

Reported budgets for energy efficiency programs for 2011, and electricity savings for 2010, are in the State Spending and Savings Tables.

Links:

• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
• New York Energy $mart

Summary: Electric: 15% annual savings by 2015.  Natural Gas: ~14.7% annual savings by 2020.

On June 23, 2008, the Commission established the New York Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) proceeding. As part of a statewide program to reduce electricity usage by 15% of the forecast levels by the year 2015, with comparable results in natural gas conservation, the Commission established interim targets and funding through the year 2011. The Commission required utilities to file energy efficiency programs, and NYSERDA, as well as independent parties, were invited to submit energy efficiency program proposals for Commission approval.

Through a series of Orders, the Commission authorized the utilities (the six electric investor owned utilities previously authorized in the SBC proceeding, plus Corning National Gas Corporation, St, Lawrence Gas, Company, Inc., KeySpan Energy Delivery New York and KeySpan Energy Delivery Long Island) as well as NYSERDA to conduct EEPS programs.

Since June 2008, the Commission approved over 100 electric and gas energy efficiency programs, along with rules to guide implementation and measure results.  During the period through December 2011, the Commission authorized electric and gas efficiency program funding of approximately $900 million designed to achieve energy savings of approximately 3,050 GWh and 6.5 million dekatherms.

By Order dated October 25, 2011, the Commission reauthorized a majority of the EEPS programs for the four-year period ending December 31, 2015, with revised targets and budgets where appropriate - NYSERDA was authorized to operate a limited number of programs through December 31, 2018.  Additionally, three gas efficiency programs run by National Fuel Gas Corporation pursuant to its rate cases were consolidated into the EEPS program. The percentage of funding allocated to low-income programs was also increased.  This Order increased the total EEPS electric and gas efficiency program budget by $2.1 billion; while increasing energy savings targets by 8,310 GWh and 15.9 million dekatherms.  As authorized, in aggregate, the EEPS is expected to fund programs valued at approximately $3 billion and achieve energy savings of more than 11,360 GWh and 22.4 million dekatherms.

Links:

• Authority: NY PSC Order, Case 07-M-0548 , June 2008
• Authority: NY PSC Order, Case 07-M-0748, May 2009
• Commission EEPS Procedural history

In 2008, the Commission established incentives for electric utility energy efficiency programs under the EEPS proceeding.  Energy savings targets for initial program years 2009 through 2011 were combined to create a single target as of December 31, 2011; Beginning in 2012, savings targets will be annual. For the 2009 through 2011 incentive period, a utility earns incentives or incurs negative adjustments for its electric or gas EEPS portfolio based upon the extent to which it achieved its energy savings targets during the years 2009 through 2011.  Maximum potential incentives/negative adjustments for each utility are calculated by multiplying $38.85/MWh for electric savings and $3.00/Dth for gas savings times the utility’s cumulative electric and gas energy savings targets for each portfolio.  If a utility achieves over 80% of a portfolio’s energy savings target, it earns an incentive scaled linearly from zero percent of the available incentive at an 80% achievement level up to 100% at a 100% achievement level.  Portfolio performance of 70-80% neither earns an incentive nor incurs a negative adjustment. Negative adjustments are calculated in a symmetrical manner to the incentives calculation with the full negative adjustment imposed at the 50% achievement level and decreasing linearly to zero percent at the 70% level.

In the 2012 through 2015 incentive period, the Commission established incentive pools totaling $36 million for electric utilities and $14 million for gas utilities, totaled over a four-year incentive period.  The incentive program provides a two tier incentive.  Utilities will be eligible for incentives not only for achievement of their own targets, but also for the achievement of statewide goals. This is intended to encourage utilities to act in cooperation with NYSERDA, which administers programs in all utility territories to enhance achievement of its targets as well. The amount for which each utility is eligible will be based on its proportional share of the utilities’ aggregate targets by the end of 2015.