Dive Brief:

• Appalachian Power filed six energy efficiency program proposals with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (VSCC), four for residential customers and two for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers.
• The six programs are expected to cost an estimated $6.3 million and save an estimated 43,000 megawatt-hours of electricity. If approved by regulators, the programs would add a projected 0.5% to the average customer bill.
• The residential programs are aimed at growing home energy upgrades, appliance recycling, Energy Star manufacturing, and the use of efficient appliances. The commercial-industrial programs are aimed at growing C&I sector plant-scale and equipment efficiencies.

Dive Insight:

The residential programs include:

1. The Home Performance Program, which provides home assessments and incentives for efficiency upgrades that will create long-term energy use cuts.
2. The Residential Appliance Recycling Program, which provides free pick-up and cash incentives for removing second refrigerators or freezers from use.
3. The Manufactured Housing Energy Star Program, which provides incentives to new manufactured home builders in the Appalachian service area that build to Energy Star standards.
4. The Residential Efficient Products Program, which funds retail rebates and markdowns for high-efficiency lighting and appliances.

The C&I programs include:

1. A Prescriptive Program that offers financial incentives for installation of high-efficiency lighting and heating and cooling equipment.
2. A Custom Program that provides rebates to customers for larger-scale energy conservation projects verified and certified by an engineering analysis.

If approved by the VSCC, Appalachian expects to begin implementing the programs in late 2015.