Dive Brief:
- Comments are due Aug. 9 to the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor for those seeking to weigh in on Indianapolis Power & Light's proposed efficiency plan, which is estimated to add about $3.25 to customers' monthly bills.
- All five of Indiana's investor-owned electric utilities are required by state regulators to offer energy efficiency programs, the costs which are then recovered through its rates.
- IPL's proposal includes funds for home energy audits, residential lighting incentives, appliance recycling and a small business direct install program.
Dive Insight:
The total price tag on IPL's demandside management proposal is almost $25 million, according to testimony filed by Lester Allen, DSM program development manager for the utility. The utility has been offering demand management programs since 1993, it said.
In the current program year, through April, IPL said its offerings have helped it realize 219,000 MWh of savings, or about two-thirds of its target.
"While the delivery of the programs has not been without challenges, IPL has worked with the IPL Oversight Board and its vendors to make adjustments in the program delivery to take advantage of market opportunities," Allen said in the testimony, filed in May.
IPL is looking to continue 13 demandside management programs, with nine residential offerings and four small business programs. The utility's current energy efficiency plan expires at the end of this year.
According to Indiana Public Media, the utility's proposed 2017 plan would cost slightly less than last year. Customer bills would include about $3.25 in efficiency charges, if the new proposal is approved, compared with $3.57 in the current program year.
IPL serves almost a half million customers in portions of 10 Indiana counties.
