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Summary of workgroup activities and survey results addressing energy waste reduction for low-income individuals. Collaboration, equity, and innovation to improve affordable housing and reduce energy burden.
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Energy Waste Reduction Low Income Workgroup Survey Results October 4, 2018
Summary of Workgroup Activities • April - Launch Work Group; identify mission and relevant topics • May - Prioritize topics • June - First two prioritized topics: “Multifamily + “Coordination across gas, electric, and water utilities” (launch of “Multifamily” breakout) • July - Third prioritized topic: “Outreach and Engagement” (launch of “Outreach and Engagement breakout”) • September - Fourth prioritized topic: “coordination of EWR, Weatherization, bill assistance, and other programs” (launch of “Coordination of EWR, Wx, bill assistance and other programs” breakout pending) • October - Fifth prioritized topic: “Health, safety, and walk-away issues” • November - Sixth prioritized topic: “Program funding levels and funding sources” (+ financing) • December - Seventh/last prioritized topic: Deep dive into poverty and “energy affordability metrics”
Survey Results: Participation • 61 responses from 49 organizations • Including • Community action agencies • Utilities • Implementers • Environmental/Energy Orgs • Housing Orgs • State Agencies (MPSC, MDHHS, MAE) • University of MI • Clean Energy Financing • Community Groups • And more
Why is this work group of interest to you/ What can this group help to address? • Major themes from the responses: • *Networking and forming partnerships • *Collaboration • Equity • Innovation for how to best design, implement, expand LI EWR programs • Helpful for preserving and improving affordable housing • Streamlining services • Reducing energy burden and risk of shut-offs • Financing • Addressing the needs of low-income individuals • Removing Barriers • Addressing Gaps
What additional groups need to be at the table? • UP and rural residents • Municipal energy & sustainability leaders. • Faith community • Direct service workers (intake and case managers, energy auditors, weatherizers) • Affordable Housing Owners and Associations • Environmental Justice, Racial Justice, and low-income advocates • Low-income customers, including renters • Legislative representation. • Cooperatives and munis • Coalition to Keep MI Warm • Note – involve certain stakeholders for certain topics
Suggestions for meeting locations outside of the MPSC/Lansing? • *Ann Arbor • University of MI • *Grand Rapids • ICCF • *Detroit • EcoWorks • Cass Commons • Wayne Metro • *Flint • *UP • *Happy with Lansing • MPSC • MSU • Holland/Holland Energy Park, • Kalamazoo • Northwest MI • Battle Creek • Gaylord • Mount Pleasant • At a utility space • DTE • Consumers • SEMCO • United Ways across MI • Cities with high poverty levels * 2+ votes
What additional topics would you most like to see this work group address in the future? Future Suggestions • Energy Literacy/Education • Renewable Energy (and coordinating RE with EWR) • Resource Guide • Non-energy benefits • Innovative program approaches • Developing common data collection and reporting practices / Data collection and sharing generally • Water Efficiency/Affordability (as it relates to energy) • Clean Energy Workforce Development • Our Current Priorities • Program Funding Levels • Coordination Between Gas, Electric, and Water Utilities • Outreach and Engagement • Coordination between EWR, Weatherization , and Assistance Programs • Measuring and Tracking Affordability
Work Group Vision and Mission • Work Group Vision: All Michigan residents live in efficient, affordable, safe, and healthy homes. • Work Group Mission: To coordinate and optimize energy efficiency and clean energy offerings, to improve energy affordability and quality of life for Michigan’s low-income residents, and to improve program design, accessibility, and delivery. • We do this through: (1) Collaborating and coordinating to identify and address barriers and needs that negatively affect energy efficiency efforts; (2) Sharing best practices and other relevant information among utility providers, government agencies, and other stakeholders; (3) Ensuring that the needs of impacted communities are heard and addressed; (4) Developing tangible deliverables needed to achieve prioritized outcomes and overcome identified barriers; (5) Prioritizing and recommending action.
Work Group Vision and Mission Response • Suggestions: • More emphasis on active inclusion of affected communities in discussions and decision-making regarding energy policy and programs. • Language should speak to “active coordination” rather than just “sharing of best practices”
Meeting Structure Feedback • Most of you like the meeting structure! • Concern about capacity and resources to get all interested parties to the table • Concern that we’re trying to do too much at once, fewer – more focused deliverables suggested • Desire for less frequent meetings to help sub groups do work on the off months. • Attendees like the room set-up (small tables), a nice change from the usual board room feeling space • Attendees like the presentations, but some would like to see them trimmed down/more focused • Attendees like brainstorming and small group activities, but need to remain focused and concrete • Difficult to follow via conference call - GoToMeeting or other webex based meeting could help
Steering Committee • Proposal: Steering Committee to be created to help guide this work • Tasks to be shared among members might include helping to set agendas, facilitate meetings, identify action items, and track progress toward goals • About 20% of the survey participants were interested in participating • Feedback from everyone included: • Committee should include membership from a diverse set of groups/sectors • Group should be small 5-10 people
Proposed Compromise: Meet every other month in person – with calls or breakout group calls in-between
Proposed Meeting Schedule after December • January: Steering Committee Meeting • February: Full Group In-Person Meeting • March: Steering Committee Meeting & Breakout Calls • April: Full Group In-Person Meeting • May: Steering Committee Meeting & Breakout Calls • June: Full Group In-Person Meeting • July: Steering Committee Meeting & Breakout Calls • August: Break • September: Full Group In-Person Meeting • Etc.
Q&A • Questions?