What is Focus on Energy? Who oversees the program? How is its budget used? Here's your chance to get to know Wisconsin's statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative better.
Q: What is Focus on Energy?
A: Focus on Energy is Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, offering a wealth of information, technical assistance and financial rewards to help Wisconsin residents and businesses select and install cost-effective energy solutions that save energy and money.
Created by state legislation Act 9 in 2001, and modified by Act 141 in 2006, the program’s goals are to encourage energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, protect the environment, promote in-state economic development and ensure the future supply of energy for Wisconsin.
The primary organizations that make up Focus on Energy are:
Q: Who oversees Focus on Energy?
A: Focus on Energy is overseen by
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC), the state agency responsible for the regulation of Wisconsin public utilities, including those that are municipally owned. The PSC works to ensure that, in the absence of competition, adequate and reasonably priced service is provided to utility customers.
Act 141 provides that the investor-owned electric and gas utilities must collectively establish and fund the statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. To fulfill their obligations under Act 141, the energy utilities have formed the
Statewide Energy Efficiency and Renewable Administration (SEERA). SEERA creates and funds the statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. SEERA also contracts, on the basis of competitive bids, with one or more persons to administer the programs.
Q: How is Focus on Energy funded?
A: Under Act 141, investor-owned electric and natural-gas utilities are required to spend 1.2% of their annual gross operating revenues on energy efficiency programs and renewable-resource programs. The Act requires municipal and electric cooperative utilities that choose not to conduct their own programs to contribute revenue to the statewide program created and funded by investor-owned utilities. Municipal and electric cooperative utilities can elect to operate their own Commitment to Community programs.
Q: What percentage of the Focus budget is used for incentives?
A: Focus spends about 60 percent of its program dollars on grants and financial incentives to encourage the adoption of energy efficient and renewable energy solutions in homes and businesses. Another six percent of the budget is used to educate customers about the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy and to help customers understand how to apply for Focus assistance. These efforts include case studies, fact sheets, direct mail, the Focus Web site, and other advertising efforts. The remaining budget covers program expenses associated with providing technical assistance to customers, training Focus market providers, staffing at various events, processing incentives and overall program planning. Eleven percent of these total costs are incurred by WECC, the program administrator, while WECC's team of subcontractors incurs the other 23 percent of costs.
