Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency makes good economic and environmental sense. For over 25 years, the Pace Center has sought to find the most efficient and effective ways to capture all cost-effective energy efficiency through sound public and regulatory policies, as well as through innovative financing mechanisms and legal arrangements. In various energy efficiency portfolio standard and system benefit charge processes, for example, we engage stakeholders and decision makers to cost-effectively reduce the demand for electricity and natural gas while saving consumers money.

Innovative Financing Mechanisms 

In addition to On Bill Recovery, Pace also works to advance other innovative financing mechanisms that overcome market barriers to scaling up efficiency, including Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE.  Pace also works actively at the New York Independent Systems Operators (NYISO) to ensure the comparable treatment and compensation of energy efficiency in wholesale electricity markets and resource planning.

15 x 15  

Pace has played an integral part of New York’s cornerstone energy efficiency policy known as “15 by 15” – the state’s goal to reduce electricity consumption by 15% from forecasted levels by 2015.  This entails utility and public authority-run energy efficiency programs across all sectors, as well as accelerated building codes and appliance standards, along with workforce training programs.

Green Jobs Green NY 

Pace played a key role in the passage of one of the state’s landmark bills on energy efficiency, and as a member of the GJ GNY Advisory Council continues to provide expert feedback as the state implements the program. Funded with $112 million in revenues from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, it provides residential, small business, and not for profit customers the opportunity to invest in EE projects and pay the costs back on their utility bill–known as On Bill Recovery.