Document Type

Research Report

Original Publication Date

2023

Date of Submission

January 2025

Abstract

This study examines the low-income energy efficiency programs funded by Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Its goal is to understand the extent to which those programs can address the problem of high energy burdens among Virginia’s low-income residents, and to estimate the impacts that those energy efficiency investments could have on the broader Virginia economy.

Our report begins with a review of existing research on “energy burdens,” or the concept that some residents, particularly those in lower income brackets, spend a disproportionate percentage of their incomes on home energy costs (heating, cooling, etc.). We then discuss the potential to relieve those burdens through investments in energy efficiency, and summarize some of the federal and state-level policies and programs that support energy efficiency and “weatherization” for low-income households. We then present our original analysis for this study, which includes the following components:

  • A series of maps that evaluate the spatial distribution of low-income energy burdens in Virginia
  • A projection of potential future RGGI revenue for Virginia (high and low scenarios) through 2030
  • An analysis of the potential energy efficiency benefits from the two RGGI revenue scenarios, including the number of housing units that could be upgraded and the resulting energy consumption reductions and customer bill savings
  • An analysis of the broader economic impacts that would result from these RGGI-funded energy efficiency investments, including total economic impact, value added, and jobs created

Recommended Citation

Pitt, D., Suen, I., et al. (2022). “Investing in Virginia through Energy Efficiency: An Analysis of the Impacts of RGGI and the HIEE Program.”

Is Part Of

Publications from the Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment

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