Press Mention Public News Service January 16, 2025
SACE Quoted
Report: AL needs to make energy efficiency a priority
In this mention
A new Southern Alliance for Clean Energy report finds Alabama lags behind other southeastern states in utility energy efficiency investments, resulting in higher power bills and increased carbon emissions. SACE staff highlight multiple benefits of prioritizing energy efficiency, including cost savings and grid reliability, while noting that federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act could help address barriers like limited program investment and challenges reaching low-income and rental housing markets.
If we take energy efficiency seriously, there will be everyday cost savings, there will be delays of expensive investments. There's also a reliability benefit.
Eddy Moore
Original clipping
PDF didn't open? Open it in a new tab →
Full transcript
Report: AL needs to make energy efficiency a priority
By Shanteya Hudson - Producer
Jan 17, 2025
A new report contended Alabama needs to invest more in energy efficiency so it can do more to lower power bills and curb the effects of climate change.
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy's report, "Energy Efficiency in the Southeast," said Alabama trails other states in utility company energy efficiency investments. It found this leads not only to higher energy bills for customers, but increased carbon emissions contributing to the warming climate.
Eddy Moore, decarbonization director for the alliance, said there are multiple benefits to prioritizing energy efficiency.
"If we take energy efficiency seriously, there will be everyday cost savings, there will be delays of expensive investments," Moore outlined. "There's also a reliability benefit."
The report found utilities like Duke Energy in North and South Carolina outperform others in the Southeast, with Alabama Power at the bottom of the list.
Heather Pohnan, senior energy policy manager for the alliance, said the barriers to energy efficiency in Alabama include limited funding, minimal program investment, and challenges in reaching low-income and rental housing markets. She noted federal funding, from sources like the Inflation Reduction Act, could be a substantial resource.
"The IRA includes tens of billions of dollars for energy efficiency," Pohnan pointed out. "It was a massive investment that includes tax credits, consumer rebates, loan programs and competitive grant opportunities."
She noted Alabama has yet to apply for key resources, like Home Energy Rebate funds. The future of the funding is unclear with the new leadership headed to the White House. But the report says energy efficiency will be essential to bolster Alabama's power grid against the rising electricity demands of data centers and population growth and to mitigate the effects of extreme weather events.