Since 2004, SCE&G’s requested rate increases have driven up electricity prices by 58%, and further increases are scheduled through 2019. SCE&G customers currently pay ~40% more than Duke Energy customers, and the most recent request by SCE&G would raise rates an additional 6.61%. Read More
It’s becoming apparent that biomass facilities must meet minimum efficiency standards to be worth public investment. In an age of hybrid cars, could the government justify using public funds to purchase a 1970’s pickup truck which gets 10 miles per gallon? The same cost-benefit analysis is now being applied to biomass-to-energy facilities. Read More
Of all the homes built in the United States during 2011, a whopping 26% were constructed to meet voluntary ENERGY STAR specifications. ENERGY STAR homes consume at least 15% less energy than those built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The South Carolina legislature adopted the 2009 IECC standard this past spring, and the code will be implemented in January of 2013. Read More
The uPowerSC campaign continues to raise awareness about the Public Service Commission and the key role it plays in guiding our state into a very fluid, uncertain, yet vitally important energy future. Read More
Fortunately, the value of energy efficiency has been widely recognized in South Carolina, and this editorial from the Post & Courier describes the powerfully positive potential of further efficiency improvements in our state. Read More
Some disappointing news came out of Alabama this past week. After the state’s Department of Economic and Community Affairs was awarded a grant worth over $540,000 to work on energy efficiency, Alabama Power (a Southern Company) and the Alabama Public Service Commission said they were unwilling to participate in the stakeholder process aimed at developing policies to help ratepayers conserve energy and save money. Alabama Power stated explicitly that the company does not support…
California will become the first state in the nation to charge industries across the economy for the greenhouse gases they emit. Opponents and supporters alike say that the state’s emissions reduction program is ambitious and risky, but this isn’t the first time California has been at the forefront of an energy issue in the US. Read More
Following a growing trend in the national real estate market, super-efficient homes are now a reality in subdivisions across Charleston. Read More
uPowerSC is a new initiative dedicated to raising awareness about our Public Service Commission (PSC), the important decisions they make with regard to utility regulation, as well as upcoming PSC elections. Read More
Thomas Edison’s incandescent light bulb reigned as the go-to artificial light source of the 20th century, but gains in efficiency and longevity among more modern light bulb technologies have led to the phasing out of this icon of American ingenuity. Read More
