Recnet enactment of public benefits programs in three Midwestern state -Illinois, Hoio, and Wisconsin - has raised the expectation that the Midwest finally might be awakening to the promise of energy efficiency and market transformation. This paper examines the programs enacted in each state as well as the processes that led to creation of these programs in an effort to understand the dynamics of the public benefits debate in the Midwest and extract leassons for those states still to act. Based on this review, we conclude that enactment of significant public benefits programs is an uphill battle in states whthout a history of utility-funded efficiency programs. Nevertheless, aligning efficiency funding with key restructuring issues in the broader debate enhances the prospects for public benefits programs. The emergence of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance also signals a stronger interest in regional approaches to efficiency and market transformation and offers a new platform for action.
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