Weatherization providers are challenged to serve energy burdened households in need of health & safety and incidental repairs before safely installing energy saving measures

RGGI revenue in Virginia could unlock energy efficiency potential of thousands of homes - a thread 1/

Utility-sponsored low-income EE programs have grown by 19x in VA since 2015 while federal resources have grown steadily. Funds for H&S repairs have not kept up causing Wx providers to defer more and more households now and in the future 2/

From a survey conducted by the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals (AECP) across all WX providers in VA in PY2018, providers had to defer nearly 1 in every 5 qualifying households that applied for services 3/

This strains the non-profit WX provider limited administrative resources and valuable energy auditing time, incurring expenses that providers are not able to recover, all while not being able to serve the clients with the most need 4/

Deferral issues vary in scope and scale from roof repairs/replacements, moisture and biological hazards, structural issues, electric and plumbing repairs needed, and failing combustion appliances like gas furnaces backdrafting into the home creating carbon monoxide hazards 5/

Access to home repair funds are sparse and often too restricted to address deferral issues - no direct energy savings after all. Despite @CHPorg’s use of internal funds to the tune of $200,000 per year, we still had to defer 197 clients in PY2018!! 6/

Enter Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). VA House Bill 981 passed earlier this year stipulates 50% of RGGI revenue go towards supporting low-income energy efficiency programs

Our weatherization programs need support! RGGI can help us to stop turning away from clients! 7/

With @VADHCD administering the RGGI revenue, they are convening a series of stakeholder meetings to determine how these funds may be best utilized to meet the intent of the legislation with the first virtual meeting on 12/15 from 2-4 PM EST, info here: 7/

https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/hiee 

Please voice your support through written or public comment to allow WX providers access to repair funds through RGGI revenue to unlock the energy efficiency potential of many of our unserved energy burdened clients! It’s the right thing to do... 8/

Thanks for joining my first thread! and thank you @KristieLowry for the graphics and support! Fin/

cc: @NASCSP @CAPartnership @SmartEnergyVA @VA_AEE @VAMFEEC @LEAP_VA @ACEEEdc @Energy_Leaders @CleanGridView @karlaloeb @dawonerobinson @boblazaro @c3climate @NRDCEnergy @NatlHsingTrust @AmarShah_DC @marycshoe @Chris_Bast @AlbertPollard @CanaryScience @carrieella @SEEAlliance

For anyone interested, DM or email me for the full brief I drafted about this issue or see my LinkedIn post here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/utilizing-virginia-rggi-revenue-support-existing-chase-counts-cem