{"id":41773,"date":"2024-11-07T10:29:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T16:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/?p=41773"},"modified":"2024-11-07T10:31:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T16:31:51","slug":"illinois-future-of-gas-the-energy-efficiency-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2024\/11\/07\/illinois-future-of-gas-the-energy-efficiency-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois Future of Gas: The Energy Efficiency Meeting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

By Scott Allen, Energy Policy Specialist\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The purpose of this workshop (10\/21\/24) was to discuss the role and importance of energy efficiency in decarbonizing the gas system. In a word, I\u2019d describe this workshop as \u201cdizzying.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During these workshops I\u2019ve become accustomed to the gas industry making fantastical claims that the only viable pathway to a clean energy future is, oddly, going backwards\u2013expanding gas infrastructure and adopting unproven, expensive technologies like \u201crenewable natural gas.\u201d But today\u2019s meeting was astonishing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It started off on a more positive note. <\/span>The first presenter, from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)<\/a><\/strong>, began with a definition of energy efficiency (EE): \u201cUse of technology, systems or behaviors to accomplish the same task with less energy.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. EE measures are the cheapest, most effective decarbonization tools available.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Retrofits not only save consumers money, they also decrease the need for new power generation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. EE measures are necessary across all categories of energy users, not just residential.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As ACEEE put it, energy efficiency \u201cis a first fuel for energy transitions.\u201d\u00a0 When we consider alternatives to building more expensive gas pipes, EE and weatherization measures\u2013coupled with electric appliances\u2013are critical to making a transition feasible, equitable and affordable.\u00a0 This is especially true for older houses and buildings where the \u201cbuilding envelope\u201d has degraded substantially.\u00a0 According to the presentation, weatherizing those buildings can save consumers \u201c11-47%\u201d annually on their energy bills.\u00a0 However, we have to keep in mind that such \u201cdeep retrofits\u201d can be expensive, and for people struggling to get by, they are prohibitively expensive.\u00a0 As the ACEEE speaker suggests, and CUB agrees, Illinois must ensure that we have funds available to help people in need.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Another challenge for the implementation of aggressive EE and weatherization retrofits is having a workforce available to perform the work. While the existing EE\/weatherization workforce far outnumbers fossil fuel workers, we need tens of thousands more people trained in that field, including HVAC contractors who understand how to size and prepare a building for <\/span>super-efficient heat pump technology<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    But we can\u2019t let such challenges slow the adoption rate because, as ACEEE pointed out, heat pumps can achieve 400% efficiency (gas furnaces can at most achieve 100%), they can be used in other appliances like water heaters and clothes dryers, and despite claims to the contrary, cold-weather heat pumps have been in use for years in sub-zero conditions. Still, it is important to keep in mind that heat pumps work best in buildings that are properly weatherized. (Check out <\/span>CUB\u2019s free Better Heat guide<\/a><\/strong> to learn more about getting your home ready for electrification.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The <\/span>next presentation was given by three of Illinois\u2019 top gas utilities: Peoples\/North Shore Gas and Nicor Gas<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t hear anything in this presentation that the same utilities hadn\u2019t\u00a0 already said in past workshops, except that their tagline seemed to be \u201cwe can do better.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to guess what they meant. Each speaker started with statistics from their company\u2019s energy efficiency program, pointing out that not only have they managed to decrease the carbon footprint of their users, but that they have saved their customers thousands of dollars. (Cold comfort for the many thousands of customers in Chicago and across the state who are hundreds of dollars in arrears. See for yourself how many gas customers are struggling to afford their bills at this <\/span>ICC dashboard<\/a><\/strong>.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Nicor speaker gave the bulk of the presentation and reiterated the gas utilities\u2019 transition vision:\u00a0 an increase in spending on gas distribution infrastructure as the only viable path forward.\u00a0 We were told once again that, paradoxically, methane gas plays a critical role in decarbonizing the methane gas system, that heat pumps can\u2019t perform (although, according to him, <\/span>GAS<\/span><\/i> heat pumps show promise, oddly enough) and that with better gas EE programs we can solve half our problems. Nicor\u2019s speaker also claimed, supposedly citing ComEd data, that electrification would cost \u201csix times\u201d more than implementing gas EE measures and maintaining the infrastructure spending status quo. That strained credibility for me and other participants. Representatives from ComEd couldn\u2019t vouch for his numbers, and it turned out he had miscategorized some electrification vs. gas efficiency incentives and his numbers were off. (<\/span>“For a deeper dive into some of the issues at play, check out the <\/span>Building Decarbonization Coalition report<\/a><\/strong> on future gas utility spending.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    By the end of the pro-gas presentation, I still didn\u2019t understand what was meant by \u201cwe can do better.\u201d In fact, even after 11 workshops, I\u2019m struggling to understand how the decarbonization pathways described by the gas utilities and their surrogates will lead to fewer carbon and methane emissions, or how advocating for more infrastructure spending leads to lower energy bills. If the presenters meant to say that they can do better by expanding and creating new EE programs, they failed to describe what they have in mind.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s too early in the process to say what those programs look like, but a hint would be nice.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The <\/span>final presentation was by a representative of the American Gas Association (AGA)<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0 Not surprisingly, the AGA agreed that gas EE measures and \u201cgas heat pumps\u201d are a more realistic and feasible approach to decarbonization than electrification.\u00a0 <\/span>He presented charts claiming that heating with electric appliances would cost consumers more per year than using gas appliances, but didn\u2019t mention what gas and electric rate assumptions they were working off of, nor whether those estimates took building envelope improvements into account. CUB and our allies are looking forward to digging into the methodology underlying the AGA report. The AGA presentation included operation cost comparisons that we hope will be examined further in future workshops.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s probably clear that I\u2019m frustrated coming out of this workshop.\u00a0 I understand the need to hear from the gas utilities, as obvious stakeholders in the process, about how they see energy efficiency as a pathway to decarbonization. But I would like to hear some new insights.\u00a0 Clearly the programs they offer today aren\u2019t of much use to somebody like me, a Nicor customer who has been denied access to their programs\u2013I have Nicor for gas, but Ameren for electricity so I\u2019m ineligible for some EE programs\u2013or to the thousands of Peoples Gas customers who are under threat of disconnection.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    At the risk of sounding biased, (I am) I will say that ACEEE\u2019s presentation was valuable, in that it\u00a0 brought information that I had not heard before, and it sparked a serious discussion of EE as a decarbonization pathway, which is the point of this entire proceeding.\u00a0 I am looking forward to the next two workshops further exploring electrification pathways, but I hope that the gas utilities will more accurately present their claims.<\/span><\/p>\n

    For more information on the Illinois Commerce Commission’s Future of Gas proceedings, visit CUB’s Lifting the FOG resource<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Scott Allen<\/strong>, Energy Policy Specialist (he\/him\/his) — Scott joined CUB in February 2014 as the first downstate staff member, working first out of Hillsboro, then from Springfield, and now, Urbana. He focuses on outreach to Ameren customers and building relationships with downstate agencies and organizations. Scott also represents CUB at the downstate caucus of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and works on a range of energy and consumer-related legislative initiatives. His favorite aspect of working at CUB is not having to worry about whether or not his efforts have a negative impact on society.\u00a0 In his time off, Scott enjoys napping, exercising and eating.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Scott Allen, Energy Policy Specialist\u00a0 The purpose of this workshop (10\/21\/24) was to discuss the role and importance of energy efficiency in decarbonizing the gas system. In a word, I\u2019d describe this workshop as \u201cdizzying.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 During these workshops I\u2019ve become accustomed to the gas industry making fantastical claims that the only viable pathway to a clean energy future is, oddly, going backwards\u2013expanding gas infrastructure and adopting unproven, expensive technologies like \u201crenewable natural gas.\u201d But today\u2019s meeting was astonishing.\u00a0\u00a0 It started off on a more positive note. The first presenter, from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), began with a definition of energy efficiency (EE): \u201cUse of technology, systems or behaviors to accomplish the same task with less energy.\u201d\u00a0 Additionally,\u00a0 EE measures are the cheapest, most effective decarbonization tools available. Retrofits not only save consumers money, they also decrease the need for new power generation.\u00a0 EE measures are necessary across all categories of energy users, not just residential. As ACEEE put it, energy efficiency \u201cis a first fuel for energy transitions.\u201d\u00a0 When we consider alternatives to building more expensive gas pipes, EE and weatherization measures\u2013coupled with electric appliances\u2013are critical to making a transition feasible, equitable and affordable.\u00a0 This is especially true for older houses and buildings where the \u201cbuilding envelope\u201d has degraded substantially.\u00a0 According to the presentation, weatherizing those buildings can save consumers \u201c11-47%\u201d annually on their energy bills.\u00a0 However, we have to keep in mind that such \u201cdeep retrofits\u201d can be expensive, and for people struggling to get by, they are prohibitively expensive.\u00a0 As the ACEEE speaker suggests, and CUB agrees, Illinois must ensure that we have funds available to help people in need. Another challenge for the implementation of aggressive EE and weatherization retrofits is having a workforce available to perform the work. While the existing EE\/weatherization workforce far outnumbers fossil fuel workers, we need tens of thousands more people trained in that field, including HVAC contractors who understand how to size and prepare a building for super-efficient heat pump technology.\u00a0\u00a0 But we can\u2019t let such challenges slow the adoption rate because, as ACEEE pointed out, heat pumps can achieve 400% efficiency (gas furnaces can at most achieve 100%), they can be used in other appliances like water heaters and clothes dryers, and despite claims to the contrary, cold-weather heat pumps have been in use for years in sub-zero conditions. Still, it is important to keep in mind that heat pumps work best in buildings that are properly weatherized. (Check out CUB\u2019s free Better Heat guide to learn more about getting your home ready for electrification.)\u00a0\u00a0 The next presentation was given by three of Illinois\u2019 top gas utilities: Peoples\/North Shore Gas and Nicor Gas.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t hear anything in this presentation that the same utilities hadn\u2019t\u00a0 already said in past workshops, except that their tagline seemed to be \u201cwe can do better.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s hard to guess what they meant. Each speaker started with statistics from their company\u2019s energy efficiency program, pointing out that not only have they managed to decrease the carbon footprint of their users, but that they have saved their customers thousands of dollars. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1752,1751],"tags":[152],"class_list":["post-41773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-icc-future-of-gas","category-illinois-commerce-commission","tag-energy-efficiency"],"cp_meta_data":{"_facebook_share_type":["default"],"_twitter_share_type":["default"],"_linkedin_share_type":["default"],"_pinterest_share_type":["default"],"_instagram_share_type":["default"],"classic-editor-remember":["classic-editor"],"_edit_lock":["1730996993:25"],"_edit_last":["25"],"_wp_page_template":["default"],"borntogive_page_header_show_hide":["2"],"borntogive_pages_title_show":["1"],"borntogive_pages_Choose_slider_display":["2"],"borntogive_pages_select_revolution_from_list":["3"],"borntogive_pages_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_effects":["fade"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_social_show":["1"],"borntogive_strict_no_sidebar":["0"],"borntogive_sidebar_columns_layout":["3"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_effects":["fade"],"_wpb_vc_js_status":["false"],"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":[""],"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":["off"],"_wpsp_is_facebook_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_twitter_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_linkedin_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_pinterest_share":["off"],"_selected_social_profile":["a:0:{}"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["1751"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["6"],"_wpb_post_custom_layout":["default"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41773"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41781,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41773\/revisions\/41781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}