September 5
ComEd Marks Milestone for Successful Energy Efficiency Program
Top consumer smart energy news hand-selected and brought to you by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
Member News
Energy Efficiency (EE) Program customers have saved more than $12 billion on their energy bills since the program’s launch in 2008, reported ComEd. The ComEd EE Program, which has expanded annually since its 2008 launch, delivers an estimated $223 million in customer incentives each year that help offset the cost of upgrades to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, while also creating opportunities for local contractors and tradespeople.
Austin Energy’s Power Partner Electric Vehicle (PPEV) managed charging program is expanding to include several electric vehicle models from General Motors. The PPEV program allows enrolled customers to support energy reliability during high-demand periods, typically June through September. During designated Power Partner events, Austin Energy will temporarily pause or reduce charging speed on a participant’s Level 2 EV charger or qualifying vehicle.
As the energy market continues its shift toward decarbonization and digitalization, utilities are under pressure to adapt to fast-evolving customer expectations. New research from the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC), based on a nationally representative Harris Poll survey of 2,000 Americans, outlines four distinct consumer segments that can help utilities refine their customer strategies.
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is streamlining the integration of aggregated consumer technologies, including rooftop solar, EVs and smart thermostats, with utilities. The Flexible Integrated Technologies Initiative, or FLEXIT, is designed to increase grid flexibility as power needs increase, while improving energy resilience and affordability. The initiative includes more than two dozen initial members representing roughly 45 percent of U.S. electricity customers.
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Industry News
Time is running out for Americans to get a federally funded discount on energy upgrades that can lower their utility bills and make their homes healthier and more comfortable. The GOP tax and spending law passed in July swiftly phases out tax credits that help households afford heat pumps and other energy-saving electric appliances. The credits were supposed to last about a decade; now they sunset December 31.
Customer experiences with electric vehicle charging are steadily improving, according to a new report from J.D. Power, even as questions and challenges loom regarding the recently relaunched federal EV charging infrastructure program. J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging Study found that just 14 percent of EV owners visited a charging station without being able to successfully charge their vehicles, down from 19 percent last year.
With assistance from the state’s Department of Commerce and $5.3 million in funding, Snohomish County PUD helped more than 1,400 households in Snohomish County and Camano Island receive free energy-efficient appliances. The Washington State PUD’s Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates, or HEAR, program provided eligible customers with new washer/dryer sets or combos, efficient induction stovetops and cookware, and heat pump water heaters free of charge.
A handful of influential companies, nonprofits and advocacy organizations on Wednesday announced a new coalition dedicated to promoting distributed energy resources to modernize the U.S. power grid. Common Charge’s founding members include Advanced Energy United, Charge Ahead Partnership, Coalition for Community Solar Access, Eco Capital, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Pivot Energy, Solar United Neighbors, Sunrun and Vote Solar, the coalition said.
