{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Citizens Utility Board","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org","title":"Illinois Future of Gas: The Energy Efficiency Meeting | Citizens Utility Board","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"4YylJ3Xytn\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2024\/11\/07\/illinois-future-of-gas-the-energy-efficiency-meeting\/\">Illinois Future of Gas: The Energy Efficiency Meeting<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2024\/11\/07\/illinois-future-of-gas-the-energy-efficiency-meeting\/embed\/#?secret=4YylJ3Xytn\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Illinois Future of Gas: The Energy Efficiency Meeting&#8221; &#8212; Citizens Utility Board\" data-secret=\"4YylJ3Xytn\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","description":"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. [&hellip;]","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Illinois-Future-of-Gas-Banner-800x221.png"}