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Pennsylvania Energy Efficiency Programs

In October 2009, the Public Utility Ccommission approved plans from seven Pennsylvania EDCs – Allegheny Power Co.; Duquesne Light Co.; Metropolitan Edison Co.; PECO Energy Co.; Pennsylvania Electric Co.; Pennsylvania Power Co. and PPL Electric Utilities Corp. – detailing how the companies intend to achieve consumption and peak demand reductions.

In creating the EE&C program guidelines, the Commission recognized a “one-size-fits-all” approach would not work. The Commission is working to balance the needs of consumers with those of the EDCs as they work to meet the requirements of the legislation. The PUC’s program standards provided each EDC with the ability to tailor its energy efficiency and conservation plan to its service territory and consumers. The PUC will monitor the EDC plan implementation to ensure the programs are cost-effective and achieving the intended results.

In general, the EDC plans for residential consumers include:

  • Residential EnergyStar and high efficiency appliance programs that provide rebates to customers for the purchase of certain energy efficiency appliances
  • Residential compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) rewards programs that provide rebates and point of sale discounts for the purchase and installation of CFLs
  • Residential HVAC efficiency programs that encourage consumers to purchase a high efficiency central air conditioner or heat pump
  • Residential home performance programs that provide for home audits and rebates toward implementing audit recommendations
  • Low-income home audit and appliance and air conditioner replacement programs
  • Time of use (TOU) with critical peak pricing rates to reflect the cost of serving customers during peak times
  • Hourly-pricing options with rates reflecting the cost of energy during each hour, encouraging customers to lower their demand or shift to lower-priced periods.

Consumers will receive specific information from their EDC on the money-saving EE&C programs available to them because of Act 129. These programs are designed to help consumers use electricity efficiently, curb consumption and reduce overall demand for electricity. Many of these programs include subsidies from the EDC to encourage the use and employment of the energy efficiency measures. Consumers are encouraged to contact their electric utility for more information.

In general, the EDC plans for business, government and non-profit customers include:

  • Commercial HVAC efficiency program that encourage small commercial and industrial and governmental/non-profit customers to purchase high efficiency systems
  • Lighting efficiency program that provides rewards for installing occupancy sensors and systems that will reduce the number of lamps per fixture or replace lights with high-intensity lights or LEDs
  • Programs focused on reducing energy and demand in the small to medium sector of commercial and industrial and governmental/non-profit customers, which will provide incentives to customers for improving the energy efficiency for specific processes and applications
  • Direct load control programs of certain systems small commercial and industrial and governmental/non-profit customers
  • Reward programs for businesses that install variable speed drives to replace mechanical throttling devices or new variable speed drive applications
  • Load management services to small and large commercial and industrial and governmental/non-profit customers
  • Customer-owned standby generation for small and large commercial and industrial and governmental/non-profit customers, which focuses on reducing kW demand by deploying this generation during peak load hours.

Businesses, governments and non-profits will receive specific information from their EDC on the money-saving EE&C programs available to them because of Act 129. These programs are designed to help consumers use electricity efficiently, curb consumption and reduce overall demand for electricity. Many of these programs include subsidies from the EDC to encourage the use and employment of the energy efficiency measures. Consumers are encouraged to contact their electric utility for more information.

The EDC's websites are

You may also contact the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission at