Affordable Multifamily in Phase 2 of Act 129
On March 1, 2012, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC or Commission) issued a Secretarial Letter seeking comments on a potential Phase 2 of Act 129. Responses are due to the PUC by April 17th.
The National Housing Trust, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency and Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP) have jointly drafted a letter to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC or Commission) which urges the PUC to include specific goals relating to energy-efficiency in affordable multifamily properties in any potential second phase of Act 129 (the “Joint Letter”).
- Read the Joint Letter
- Sign on to the Joint Letter
- Read the Secretarial letter
Background
On October 15, 2008, House Bill 2200 was signed into law as Act 129 with an effective date of November 14, 2008. Among other things, Act 129 required Energy Efficiency & Conservation (EE&C) programs for the Commonwealth’s largest electric distribution companies (EDCs) and required that the PUC evaluate the costs and benefits of the EE&C programs by November 31, 2013.
In accordance with these directives, the Commission has begun the process of evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the EE&C Programs and determining whether additional incremental consumption and peak demand reduction targets will be adopted and, if so, what those incremental reduction targets should be. The Commission has issued a Secretarial letter outlining the issues to be addressed.
On March 16, 2012, a stakeholder meeting was convened to receive public comments. Two of the topics which were addressed concerned the need for a low-income energy savings “carve-out” as well as the need to set targets to enhance the level of energy efficient retrofitting to affordable multifamily buildings housing low and low-moderate income renters. Formal Comments in response to the Secretarial letter are due by April 17, 2012.
Additional Information
- Learn more about PULP
- Learn more about RHLS’s work on energy-efficiency