Utility companies in New York are being offered incentives to reduce their customers' energy requirements. The New York State Public Service Commission, the state agency in charge of regulating utility companies, will offer a total of $26.96 million to electric utilities to help them create energy efficiency programs.

The commission currently expects that energy use in 2015 will be 11 percent higher than it is today. The incentives are, in part, an effort to prevent or reduce those anticipated increases in electricity bills.

Electric utilities will receive a share of the almost $27 million in incentives if they can prove that they have met reduction goals. The Public Service Commission has set goals for each of the state's service territories. The overall objective is an annual reduction of 693,951 megawatt hours. If the commission can hit that target, it will have covered its portion of the state government's goal of cutting New York's energy use by 15 percent by 2015. The incentives will only apply to improvements in electric usage; the commission will negotiate incentives for gas utilities on a case-by-case basis.

Reduction targets have not yet been set for New York City, but the Public Service Commission is setting aside an additional $5 million for energy efficiency improvements in the city.

Photo — Kevin Labianco