Shedding Light: The Role of Public Utility Commissions in Encouraging Adoption of Energy Efficient Lighting by Low-income Households

摘要

Although many improvements to energy efficiency lighting technology and adoption have been made in the past decade, continued focus on the issue is important to maintain momentum. With federal stagnation, state authorities will be required to sustain the momentum of consumer demand that is necessary to make investment in lighting technologies permanent. PUCs should embrace their unique authority to oversee state electricity delivery and programs, and actively engage with provisions contained in their organic statutes to promote already existent programs. In particular, PUCs should encourage utilities to focus these programs on low-income households that are uniquely unable or unlikely to adopt effective efficient lighting practices on their own. By combining free or subsidized products and services for low-income residents, and comprehensive information delivery focused on providing individualized billing details, state PUCs can create an immediate, low-cost, and self-sustaining program for widespread residential adoption of efficient lighting that will benefit individuals and the state alike.