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Home Energy and the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)

By Solar energy | February 9, 2009

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Home Energy and the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES)

The Alliance to Save Energy is pleased about a new piece of legislation introduced by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass). If enacted, the Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS) legislation would reduce national energy use while incorporating renewable energy sources.

That sounds good. I do want to reduce my energy use and incorporate solar energy in my home. Eventually, I want a net ZEH home that produces as much energy as my home uses.

But I am wary.

The ASE article says this bill,

“would require electric and gas utilities to reduce demand by 15 and 10 percent, respectively, by 2020. Utilities could count savings from helping their customers to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient, as well as from appliance standards, building codes, and other government programs. And while utilities would be responsible for meeting the energy efficiency requirements, they would be allowed to buy savings from states and other third parties that could be used to demonstrate compliance.”

I am bothered by the word “require,” here. My utility provider would be “required” to reduce energy demand? They “could [emphasis mine] count savings from helping their customers….”

Or they could just declare power outages at certain times of the day or night.

I read through the actual bill presented. You can read it here.

It looks to me like the utility companies will be required to pay a “quantity of electricity credits” (read: money) to the government. And if they meet the annual reduction requirements, then they get a portion of that back.

Two things:

1.    Why does the government take money out of our pocket (you know who your utility company will get the money from to pay these credits), give some of it back if we jump through the right hoops, and then act like they are doing us a big favor?

2.    We do not need to wait for the government to make us reduce our energy consumption! We are free adults who can make these choices for ourselves.

Of course, the American Renewable Energy Act is replete with the necessary legalese. I am no trained lawyer so it’s possible I misunderstood something.

Read the document yourself and let me know what you think.

Still, rather than waiting for clumsy government intervention, I like this idea better.

And if you are ready to start reducing your energy consumption now, you are welcome to join the Home Energy Conservation Challenge.

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Topics: Home Energy Conservation Challenge, Renewable Energy Politics | No Comments »

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