This week in buildings decarbonization news RTO Insider’s Amanda Durish Cook wrote about the Louisiana PSC’s long-awaited decision to pull the plug on statewide efficiency programs. While the state has low power rates, it has not made much progress at all on efficiency. One critic said at the meeting that low rates do not matter “if we’re just throwing our money out of the cracks around our doors and windows.” Utility representatives said about 5% or a little more of their customers participated and Commissioner Erik Skrmetta suggested it was unfair for others to subsize them. 

Across the country, NetZero Insider’s Jon Lamson covered reactions to a proposal pending at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to limit cost recovery for expanding natural gas utility service to new customers. Adding new customers to a utility service that produces greenhouse gas emissions goes against the commonwealth’s climate change laws that seek net zero by mid-century. Utilities and real estate interests opposed the proposal saying it could hold back economic growth and infrastructure development.  

In other news from the home state of the defending NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics (your email author could not resist the reference — I want another crack at L.A., LeBron, and that defensive liability in the Finals), Grist did a deep dive on a Cape Light Compact program for electrifying homes, which the piece said could serve as a national model. The compact provides electricity supplies and administers energy efficiency programs for 21 towns on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. It is the only electrification program that combines batteries and solar alongside electrification and traditional efficiency in one go. Speaking of deep dives, Pro Publica looked into the Trump Administration’s antipathy towards the Department of Energy’s efficiency standards and how that might impact its policies for the next four years. 

ICF Energy released a new survey of utility executives finding a majority think energy efficiency key to the challenges facing the power grid. Utility leaders “recognize energy efficiency as a powerful and immediate tool to drive resilience, affordability, and sustainability.” Efficiency programs need effective engagement, more affordability, and to tap new technologies like AI to be successful. 

Finally, here are some other stories from this week’s intelligence report, which will be our last. This email newsletter is being phased out: