Testimony provided in person during the committee hearing by Andrew Valainis:
Good afternoon Chair Sales and members of the Committee, My name is Andrew Valainis. I live in Missoula, MT where I serve as the Climate Action program coordinator for Missoula County. We rise in support this bill. Energy costs are rising, and this bill provides a long-term strategy to help mitigate those rising energy costs that benefits both the utility as well as end-users, like Montana’s households, schools, small businesses, and local governments. Energy conservation measures implemented by utilities directly benefits all ratepayers across the entire utility system by lowering supply costs and utility expenses. The current utility business model around the U.S. generally incentivizes selling more energy, and thus directly disincentives energy conservation. Even the most altruistic of utility executive teams and boards is still directly incentivized to sell energy and not to conserve it. This prioritizes the best interest of the utility, but not the best interest of end-users. Importantly, this bill offers carrots and not sticks. New Section 4 is the crux of this bill concept. Instead of establishing fees and penalties, this bill establishes performance-based incentives that will be shared among end-users along with the utility. This approach ensures that these measures are implemented in a way that prioritizes the best interest of the utility and the end-users. Energy conservation works in tandem with, and not against, economic opportunity and growth. Between 1980 and 2014, energy use in the US increased 26% while GDP increased by a whopping 149%. And since the early 2000’s, electricity use in the U.S. has largely flattened out compared to the 1980s and 1990s, and yet U.S. GDP has continued to grow – even accounting for the dip during the 2008 financial crisis. More than half of the states in the U.S. have energy conservation standards on the books. This includes most of the Northeast, the coastal states in the West, but also Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas and Florida. We hope that you will add Montana to this growing list by supporting this bill. Thank you, and I would be happy to stand for questions.
Good afternoon Chair Sales and members of the Committee, My name is Andrew Valainis. I live in Missoula, MT where I serve as the Climate Action program coordinator for Missoula County. We rise in support this bill. Energy costs are rising, and this bill provides a long-term strategy to help mitigate those rising energy costs that benefits both the utility as well as end-users, like Montana’s households, schools, small businesses, and local governments. Energy conservation measures implemented by utilities directly benefits all ratepayers across the entire utility system by lowering supply costs and utility expenses. The current utility business model around the U.S. generally incentivizes selling more energy, and thus directly disincentives energy conservation. Even the most altruistic of utility executive teams and boards is still directly incentivized to sell energy and not to conserve it. This prioritizes the best interest of the utility, but not the best interest of end-users. Importantly, this bill offers carrots and not sticks. New Section 4 is the crux of this bill concept. Instead of establishing fees and penalties, this bill establishes performance-based incentives that will be shared among end-users along with the utility. This approach ensures that these measures are implemented in a way that prioritizes the best interest of the utility and the end-users. Energy conservation works in tandem with, and not against, economic opportunity and growth. Between 1980 and 2014, energy use in the US increased 26% while GDP increased by a whopping 149%. And since the early 2000’s, electricity use in the U.S. has largely flattened out compared to the 1980s and 1990s, and yet U.S. GDP has continued to grow – even accounting for the dip during the 2008 financial crisis. More than half of the states in the U.S. have energy conservation standards on the books. This includes most of the Northeast, the coastal states in the West, but also Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas and Florida. We hope that you will add Montana to this growing list by supporting this bill. Thank you, and I would be happy to stand for questions.
Testimony provided in person during the committee hearing by Andrew Valainis:
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Chair Sales and members of the Committee,
My name is Andrew Valainis. I live in Missoula, MT where I serve as the Climate Action program coordinator for Missoula County. We rise in support this bill.
Energy costs are rising, and this bill provides a long-term strategy to help mitigate those rising energy costs that benefits both the utility as well as end-users, like Montana’s households, schools, small businesses, and local governments.
Energy conservation measures implemented by utilities directly benefits all ratepayers across the entire utility system by lowering supply costs and utility expenses. The current utility business model around the U.S. generally incentivizes selling more energy, and thus directly disincentives energy conservation. Even the most altruistic of utility executive teams and boards is still directly incentivized to sell energy and not to conserve it. This prioritizes the best interest of the utility, but not the best interest of end-users.
Importantly, this bill offers carrots and not sticks. New Section 4 is the crux of this bill concept. Instead of establishing fees and penalties, this bill establishes performance-based incentives that will be shared among end-users along with the utility. This approach ensures that these measures are implemented in a way that prioritizes the best interest of the utility and the end-users.
Energy conservation works in tandem with, and not against, economic opportunity and growth. Between 1980 and 2014, energy use in the US increased 26% while GDP increased by a whopping 149%. And since the early 2000’s, electricity use in the U.S. has largely flattened out compared to the 1980s and 1990s, and yet U.S. GDP has continued to grow – even accounting for the dip during the 2008 financial crisis.
More than half of the states in the U.S. have energy conservation standards on the books. This includes most of the Northeast, the coastal states in the West, but also Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas and Florida. We hope that you will add Montana to this growing list by supporting this bill.
Thank you, and I would be happy to stand for questions.
Testimony by Andrew Valainis:
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Chair Sales and members of the Committee,
My name is Andrew Valainis. I live in Missoula, MT where I serve as the Climate Action program coordinator for Missoula County. We rise in support this bill.
Energy costs are rising, and this bill provides a long-term strategy to help mitigate those rising energy costs that benefits both the utility as well as end-users, like Montana’s households, schools, small businesses, and local governments.
Energy conservation measures implemented by utilities directly benefits all ratepayers across the entire utility system by lowering supply costs and utility expenses. The current utility business model around the U.S. generally incentivizes selling more energy, and thus directly disincentives energy conservation. Even the most altruistic of utility executive teams and boards is still directly incentivized to sell energy and not to conserve it. This prioritizes the best interest of the utility, but not the best interest of end-users.
Importantly, this bill offers carrots and not sticks. New Section 4 is the crux of this bill concept. Instead of establishing fees and penalties, this bill establishes performance-based incentives that will be shared among end-users along with the utility. This approach ensures that these measures are implemented in a way that prioritizes the best interest of the utility and the end-users.
Energy conservation works in tandem with, and not against, economic opportunity and growth. Between 1980 and 2014, energy use in the US increased 26% while GDP increased by a whopping 149%. And since the early 2000’s, electricity use in the U.S. has largely flattened out compared to the 1980s and 1990s, and yet U.S. GDP has continued to grow – even accounting for the dip during the 2008 financial crisis.
More than half of the states in the U.S. have energy conservation standards on the books. This includes most of the Northeast, the coastal states in the West, but also Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Arkansas, North Carolina, Texas and Florida. We hope that you will add Montana to this growing list by supporting this bill.
Thank you, and I would be happy to stand for questions.