1.0Citizens Utility Boardhttps://www.citizensutilityboard.orgrich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="P3e0ZyR5rj"><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=P3e0ZyR5rj" width="600" height="338" title="“Illinois Future of Gas: The Energy Efficiency Meeting” — Citizens Utility Board" data-secret="P3e0ZyR5rj" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !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); /* ]]> */ </script> By Scott Allen, Energy Policy Specialist  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’d describe this workshop as “dizzying.”   During these workshops I’ve become accustomed to the gas industry making fantastical claims that the only viable pathway to a clean energy future is, oddly, going backwards–expanding gas infrastructure and adopting unproven, expensive technologies like “renewable natural gas.” But today’s meeting was astonishing.   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): “Use of technology, systems or behaviors to accomplish the same task with less energy.”  Additionally,  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.  EE measures are necessary across all categories of energy users, not just residential. As ACEEE put it, energy efficiency “is a first fuel for energy transitions.”  When we consider alternatives to building more expensive gas pipes, EE and weatherization measures–coupled with electric appliances–are critical to making a transition feasible, equitable and affordable.  This is especially true for older houses and buildings where the “building envelope” has degraded substantially.  According to the presentation, weatherizing those buildings can save consumers “11-47%” annually on their energy bills.  However, we have to keep in mind that such “deep retrofits” can be expensive, and for people struggling to get by, they are prohibitively expensive.  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.   But we can’t 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’s free Better Heat guide to learn more about getting your home ready for electrification.)   The next presentation was given by three of Illinois’ top gas utilities: Peoples/North Shore Gas and Nicor Gas.  We didn’t hear anything in this presentation that the same utilities hadn’t  already said in past workshops, except that their tagline seemed to be “we can do better.”  It’s hard to guess what they meant. Each speaker started with statistics from their company’s 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. […]https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Illinois-Future-of-Gas-Banner-800x221.png