Changes to Indiana solar/geothermal/wind property tax exemptions still “in play” during final week of General Assembly

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   March 08, 2014  /   Posted in 2014 Indiana General Assembly, geothermal, solar, Uncategorized, wind  /   No Comments

Are you curious about the status of Property Tax Incentives for Renewables? As of January 2013, the DSIREUSA.org website reports that 38 States, +Washington DC & Puerto Rico, offer property tax incentives for renewables.

   http://www.dsireusa.org/documents/summarymaps/PropertyTax_map.pdf

 

So what is the status of property tax incentives for renewables now in Indiana? The simple answer is that the fate of the future of solar/geothermal/wind property tax incentives are still "in play" during the final week of the Indiana General Assembly. Language affecting the current current renewable energy property tax exemption is contained in HB 1234 and SB 367.

The preferred language was amended in SB 367 is as follows:

The assessed value of residential real property or a mobile home that is not assessed as real property is not to be increased as a result of an improvement that: (1) consists of a solar, wind, geothermal, or hydroelectric heating or cooling system; and (2) replaces an existing heating or cooling system.

HB 1234 Provides in the case of residential property that only the owner that installs a solar system or a wind, geothermal, or hydroelectric device after 2014 is entitled to a property tax deduction for the system or device (the change does not impact those now receiving deductions)

Rep. Jeff Thompson filed a dissent motion 3/5/14 for HB 1234 and a Conference Committee has been appointed. The Conferees and Advisors were appointed on 3/6/14 as follows:

Action on Conference Committees during the final days and hours of the 2014 session of the Indiana General Assembly happens at a fast clip. Follow action at http://twitter.com/IndianaDG

WHAT IS A CONFERENCE  COMMITTEE?

Legislators are working this week  as final negotiations continue in conference committees. Conference committees are a unique step in the legislative process designed to allow different versions of a bill to be reconciled into a final agreed upon form. We thought an explanation of conference committees might be in order here.

What is a conference committee?

Bills which have passed their house of origin, but were amended by the opposite chamber must return to the house of origin to allow the author to review the changes. If an author is unsatisfied with changes and the house of origin dissents, an agreement must be negotiated between the two different versions of the bill in a joint House-Senate conference committee.

A conference committee is a temporary group with four appointed members, or conferees: a member of each party from the Senate and member of each party from the House. Other legislators also can be appointed as advisors to the conference committee, but the approval of advisors is not necessary for the bill to move forward.

Conference committee meetings are open to the public, and a one hour public notice must be given before a meeting convenes. During the meeting(s), legislators may take public testimony, discuss differences in the language, and consider proposed compromises. The resulting compromise takes the form of a conference committee report, which must be signed by each of the four conferees in order for the bill to move forward for a final vote in each chamber. Over the course of negotiations, multiple conference committee reports may be drafted.

Once signed by the four conferees, a conference committee report is filed in each chamber and put to a final vote. If approved by both chambers, a conference committee report is signed by the Senate President Pro Tempore and the Speaker of the House, then sent to the governor for his signature into law or veto.

Letter to Indiana Governor Pence asks him to veto SB 340 and hold dialogue with businesses representing 10,000 jobs that support DSM programs

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   March 07, 2014  /   Posted in 2014 Indiana General Assembly, Uncategorized  /   No Comments

Governor Mike Pence

List of companies opposing SB 340 growing by the day. Companies asking Governor Pence to veto SB 340 as currently written and to hold a dialogue to discuss Indiana DMS programs.

Join IndianaDG and the growing list of companies to tell Governor Pence to "Fix not Nix" Indiana's energy efficiency and Demand Side Management (DSM) programs. Call  Governor Pence 317-232-4567.

Governor Mike Pence

State of Indiana

200 W. Washington St.

Indianapolis, IN  46204

 

 

March 7, 2014

 

Dear Governor Pence:

As companies that represent 10,000 manufacturing and efficiency jobs in Indiana, we write to you today to express our opposition to SB 340, a bill that passed the State House and is now under consideration in the State Senate.  We respectfully request that you veto the bill should it be passed in its current form.  We also hope you will encourage the sponsors of the bill to hold a dialogue with businesses in Indiana that support energy efficiency programs (known as Demand-Side Management (DSM)) before taking any further action on this bill.

Indiana's bi-partisan efficiency program, established by former Governor Daniels, represents a common-sense solution to Indiana's high energy costs. In its current form SB 340 would essentially eliminate Indiana’s energy efficiency standard, ending all programs including industrial efficiency.   Energy efficiency programs in Indiana create jobs.  Indiana is home to businesses who manufacture energy efficient equipment such as chillers, air-conditioners, and heaters, and to companies that make industrial facilities more efficient.  Further, many Indiana businesses assist state, municipal, and other public buildings in becoming more energy efficient which saves taxpayers money.  Many Indiana small businesses serve as contractors on job sites and manufacture equipment tied to energy efficiency.  For example, consider one of the many efficiency programs, the Core Programs, which serve residential, low income and small commercial customers– not just large industrial customers.  Ending this initiative would eliminate approximately 381 direct program jobs, over 1200 indirect jobs and over $500 million of economic investment each year that the programs are not operating.

Reductions in industrial manufacturers' energy use through energy efficiency programs should be encouraged by Indiana taxpayers.  These programs cut waste and are a fiscally responsible way to address the state’s energy needs.

  • Energize Indiana’s benefits far outweigh its costs 2:1 An independent evaluation of 2013 showed energy savings benefits exceeded costs by nearly a 2:1 margin, fulfilling the goal of producing energy savings, cutting air pollution and reducing the need to build more power plants. Source: 2012 Energizing Indiana EM&V Final Report June 20, 2013 reports total portfolio of TRC 1.71
  • Energy Efficiency is the lowest cost kWh investment– Energy efficiency is the lowest cost kWh investment that can be made and provides system wide benefits; thus benefiting all customers.
  • Role of Industrials is Crucial- some of the least expensive energy efficiency projects come from industrial customers and they are vital to include in programs.  When the lowest cost kWh is procured through energy efficiency programs, all customers benefit.

If there are concerns about the current program, we stand ready to work with you and your colleagues on improvements to the program standards.   We urge you not to hastily eliminate efficiency from the state's energy plan, and to allow for a dialogue with Indiana businesses who believe that such a standard is a solution for wasteful energy spending and high costs.

Thank you for your leadership on this important issue for Indiana taxpayers.  Should you have questions, please, have your staff reach out to the point person for this letter, Anna Pavlova with Johnson Controls at 202-368-8323.

Sincerely,

 

A.O. Smith

Enernoc

General Electric

Honeywell

Ingersoll Rand

Johnson Controls

Kingspan Insulated Panels

Knauf Insulation

Leidos Engineering

Siemens

United Technologies

 

 

 

Cos. representing 8000 manufacturing and efficiency jobs who support DSM and oppose SB 340 send letter to Sen. Merritt

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   March 05, 2014  /   Posted in 2014 Indiana General Assembly, Uncategorized  /   No Comments

Jim Merritt

Indiana Senator Jim Merritt (R-Indianapolis)

Majority Caucus Chair

State Senator - District 31

Email: Senator.Merritt@iga.in.gov

Legislative Assistant:
Dawna Smith
Phone: 317-232-9533

 

Senator James Merritt
Indiana State Senate
200 W. Washington Street


Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

March 5, 2014

 

Dear Senator Merritt:

 

The undersigned companies represent 8,000 manufacturing and efficiency jobs in Indiana. We respectfully write to express our opposition to SB 340 in its current form, and to request that you hold a dialogue with businesses in your state who support Demand-Side Management (DSM) programs before taking any further action on this bill.

Indiana's bi-partisan efficiency program, established by former Governor Daniels, represents a common-sense solution to Indiana's high energy costs. The House-passed version of the bill would essentially eliminate Indiana's energy efficiency standard, ending programs well beyond industrial efficiency. Energy efficiency programs in Indiana create jobs. Indiana is home to businesses who manufacture energy efficient equipment such as chillers, air-conditioners, and heaters, and to companies that make industrial facilities more efficient. Further, many Indiana businesses assist state, municipal, and other public buildings become more energy efficient while reducing energy bills for taxpayers. Many small Indiana businesses serve as contractors on job sites and parts manufacturers tied to energy efficiency. For example, consider the Core Programs that specially serve the residential, low income and small commercial customer market – not the large industrial customers. Ending these programs would eliminate approximately 381 direct program jobs, over 1200 indirect jobs and over $500 million of economic investment each year that the programs are not operating.

Reductions in industrial manufacturers' energy use through energy efficiency programs should be encouraged by everyone. These programs cut waste and are a fiscally responsible way to address the state's energy needs.

  •  Energize Indiana's benefits far outweigh its costs 2:1 An independent evaluation of 2013 showed energy savings benefits exceeded costs by nearly a 2:1 margin, fulfilling the goal of producing energy savings, cutting air pollution and reducing the need to build more power plants. Source: 2012 Energizing Indiana EM&V Final Report June 20, 2013 reports total portfolio of TRC 1.71
  • Energy Efficiency is the lowest cost kWh investment– Energy efficiency is the lowest cost kWh investment that can be made and provides system wide benefits; thus benefiting all customers.
  • Role of Industrials is Crucial- some of the least expensive energy efficiency projects come from industrial customers and they are vital to include in programs. When the lowest cost kWh is procured through energy efficiency programs, all customers benefit.

If there are concerns about the current program, we stand ready to work with you and your colleagues on improvements to the program standards. We urge you not to eliminate efficiency from the state's energy plan hastily, and to allow for a dialogue with Indiana businesses who believe that such a standard is a solution for wasteful energy spend and high costs.

Should you have questions, please, have your staff reach out to the point person for this letter, Anna Pavlova with Johnson Controls at 202-368-8323.

Sincerely,

 

Honeywell

Johnson Controls

Knauf Insulation

Leidos

Siemens

United Technologies

 

 

CC: Senator Denise Kruse

Senator Jean Leising

Representative Eric Koch

Representative Heath VanNatter

Representative Richard Hamm

Media Advisory for Press Conference by Coalition of Groups Opposing SB 340; IndianaDG part of Group Opposing SB 340

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   March 04, 2014  /   Posted in 2014 Indiana General Assembly, Uncategorized  /   No Comments

MEDIA ADVISORY: March 3, 2014

Contact: Shane Levy, Sierra Club - shane.levy@sierraclub.org, 201-679-9507
Jodi Perras, Sierra Club - jodi.perras@sierraclub.org, 317-296-8395

 

Energy Efficiency Businesses To Urge Lawmakers To Protect Jobs & Savings

Join with Citizens, Faith, Environmental Groups At Wednesday Press Conference

 

WHAT: Energy efficiency job creators from across Indiana will join with citizens' groups and faith leaders on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to protect energy efficiency jobs and savings for Hoosiers throughout the state.  Last week, the Indiana House approved a version of Senate Bill 340 that will end the state’s energy efficiency program by prohibiting the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) from requiring utilities to meet energy savings goals. SB 340 would also prohibit the IURC from extending or entering into a new contract to run the program. The State Senate is now considering the legislation. Since it began in January 2012, Energizing Indiana has directly supported 400 Hoosier jobs and saved enough energy to power 78,500 homes for a year.

 

If the Statehouse attack on energy efficiency programs succeeds, electricity costs will rise by hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of Hoosier jobs in the energy efficiencyeconomy will be lost.

 

ATTENTION ASSIGNMENT EDITORS:

STRONG VISUALS!

LARGE BANNERS AND PLACARDS

DIVERSE CROWD OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY BUSINESSES, ACTIVISTS

 

 

WHO:

Chris Maher - Energy Outfitter, a Westfield-based home and business insulation and energy solutions company
Bill Bissmeyer - B&B Energy, an Indianapolis based industrial energy savings specialist
Sam Sirkin - JACO Environmental, an energy efficiency services company that recently installed an advanced appliance recycling plant in Indianapolis.
Ed Gerardot - Executive Director, Indiana Community Action Association (INCAA)
Rev. Wyatt Watkins - Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light board member and Pastor of Cumberland First Baptist Church in Indianapolis
Kerwin Olson - Executive Director, Citizens Action Coalition
Jodi Perras - Indiana Campaign Representative, Sierra Club Beyond Coal

 

WHEN:

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

10:00 AM

 

WHERE:

Indiana Statehouse, South Atrium

###

 

BACKGROUND:

 

In its first year, Energizing Indiana created as many as 400 direct jobs and served 200,000 Hoosier households and businesses. An independent evaluation concluded that for every dollar spent on “demand-side management” programs, Indiana utilities saved two dollars, resulting in more than $80 million in savings in 2012. Industrial and commercial programswere even more cost-effective -- saving $3.19 for every dollar spent.

 

Energy efficiency programs also protect Hoosier ratepayers from the cost of building expensive new power plants that are not needed. In a study released last year, the State Utility Forecasting Group predicted that Indiana's energy efficiency program will save 1,800 megawatts in peak energy demand by 2022. These savings would avoid the need to build 2.5 power plants the size of the Harding Street Power Station on the south side of Indianapolis.

 

Indiana recently achieved full-scale implementation of the statewide energy efficiency programs, and recent progress helped the state move up six spots in the rankings of American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) 2013 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard to 27th, ahead of states like Kentucky and Missouri. Just the statewide “core” energy efficiency programs alone are saving 25 times more electricity than the utilities were under the old “voluntary” approach in 2008, according to ACEEE.

 

The energy efficiency business leaders at Wednesday’s event join with a diverse coalition of citizens, faith, and environmental groups including the Sierra Club, Hoosier Interfaith Power & Light, Indiana NAACP, Citizens Action Coalition, Hoosier Environmental Council, and the Indiana Distributed Energy Alliance that are opposed to the legislation.

 

 

 

Why are electric utilities trying to rid the world of the scourge of people generating their own power with solar?

Posted by Laura Arnold  /   March 03, 2014  /   Posted in Uncategorized  /   No Comments

Edison Electric Institute Really Does Not Want You to Go Solar

Edison Electric Institute Really Does Not Want You to Go Solar

Adam Browning of Vote Solar dissects an anti-solar filing from the IOUs’ industry group.

Adam Browning
February 28, 2014

The Edison Electric Institute, the trade association representing U.S. investor-owned utilities, is at it again. Over the past year, this monopoly of monopolies has been working overtime -- taking extraordinary, unprecedented actions -- to rid the world of the scourge of people generating their own power with solar.

The latest: on February 18, EEI filed official comments (PDF) with regulators in Arizona on the subject of valuing distributed generation renewables, including rooftop solar.

It’s a remarkable document. EEI wants a fair and balanced evaluation of distributed renewable generation which specifically excludes both the distributed and the renewable values.

Some pertinent quotes:

  • “Grid security and reliability values should not be considered in rates.”
  • “Environmental and social externalities should not be included in DG rates.”
  • “DG systems should not be compensated directly for reducing market prices.”
  • “Even if it can be determined that DG systems may make known and measurable net contributions to the security and reliability of the system...they should not receive additional compensation.”
  • “EEI believes that although avoided transmission and distribution may be theoretically relevant to determining adequate compensation for DG, the measurement of such components is too speculative at this time.”

EEI also makes the case that if a value can’t be determined with a level of precision sufficient to its liking, it should be assumed to be zero. You say five, someone else says six, and EEI meets you in the middle at zero. Or to offer another analogy, MIT researchers calculate that fossil-fueled power plants shorten the lives of 52,000 Americans a year. If you and EEI can’t agree on the value of Grandma’s life, they want to call it even at zero. Sorry, Grandma.

The group's arguments are not fooling anyone, including the Arizona regulators who were not impressed by the $500,000 in television ads that EEI ran attacking solar customers. Nor NRG, one of the largest utility companies in the country, which ended up running a full-page ad in the Arizona Republiccalling out EEI for its anti-solar and anti-consumer efforts.

It’s all but unprecedented for EEI to file in a state docket. In the twelve years that Vote Solar has been doing regulatory work around the country, we’ve never seen it happen before. Of all the issues facing energy in this country, this is the one that motivated EEI to take a stand. Global climate disruption driven by fossil-fuel emissions from electric power industry? Ehh, someone else’s problem. Fuel shortages and cost spikes resulting in ‘sticker shock’? Yawn. Ratepayers paying $1.7 billion (and utilities profiting) for failed utility investments that will never generate a single kilowatt-hour of electricity? Hey, can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs. People going solar? Now that’s a bridge too far!

Frankly, EEI is making a great case for why the status quo needs to be changed. Significant majorities of Americans want to see a rapid transition to renewable energy. EEI has failed to deliver collective solutions, and now it is fighting to prevent individual actions.

In the immortal words of Georgia Public Service Commissioner Bubba McDonald:

“I don’t know what gas prices will be in six years. But I know the sun will come up, and it’s free. It’s not owned by Georgia Power, it’s not owned by Bubba McDonald, it’s not owned by the Public Service Commission. It’s free. And to deprive people of the opportunity to take advantage of technology, to me, is wrong.”

***

Adam Browning is the executive director of Vote Solar.

TAGS: adam browning, aps, arizona vote solar, edison electric institute, eei

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