Report: WV Energy Efficiency Efforts Improving - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Report: WV Energy Efficiency Efforts Improving

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A new report says West Virginia, though still ranked in the bottom 10, is catching up to the rest of the nation in improving energy efficiency.

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy placed West Virginia 44th in a scorecard obtained from interviews with energy experts and policymakers. The state has hovered between 43rd and 45th since 2008. A recent report from the group analyzed the bottom ten states' efforts toward energy efficiency.

"Experts interviewed for the study all conveyed that ratepayer impacts from energy efficiency programs is paramount in West Virginia," the report states. "However, the state is facing dramatic energy price increases for residential customers and a general interest in energy efficiency is emerging as a way to create jobs and lower energy bills."

The authors said they focused on low-cost solutions for states to increase energy efficiency.

"After interviewing 55 stakeholders, we found a number of barriers both common and unique to the states we examined," the report states. Fortunately, energy efficiency does have a foothold in every region of the country, and the policies and programs we recommend are grounded in past experience and success in states similar to those we examined for this report." 

The state was applauded for updates to its energy code and utility sector energy efficiency programs. Barriers identified by the ACEEE in West Virginia include utility sector cost concerns, aversion to mandates and "lack of education or leadership on energy efficiency."

The report encourages the state to continue updating building codes and implementing further demand side management efficiency standards.

The report says West Virginia would have a received a higher score if energy efficiency resource standard legislation introduced by Del. Mike Manypenny would passed the House. Manypenny's bill was not voted on by the full house.  

The study did praise West Virginia passing its Green Buildings Act, Senate Bill 76, that requires all state-funded construction after July 1 to  comply with updated efficiency standards.

"We got Senate Bill 76 passed, was big for us," Jeff Herholdt, director of the West Virginia Department of Energy said Wednesday at a meeting of the Public Energy Authority.

West Virginia's average retail electricity rate fell right in the middle, 25th, at an average monthly bill of $105.05. Average monthly electricity costs ranged from $168.86 to $90.59.

Of the 24 states that higher electricity bills than West Virginia, only one actually paid less cents per kilowatt hour.