Late March, 2015, Tower Grove Neighborhoods Community Development Corp. (TGNCDC) was awarded a grant by the Energy Foundation to support collaboration with state and national organizations to increase energy efficiency for affordable multifamily housing. This effort, Energy Efficiency for All - Missouri, is a collaborative effort with the National Housing Trust, the Natural Resource Defense Council, Renew Missouri, Tower Grove Neighborhoods CDC, and Kansas City-based Blue Hills Community Services. Goals of Energy Efficiency for All were established in 2014 through five stakeholder convenings held in St. Louis. Goals include:- impact policy changes by the Missouri Public Service Commission and the Missouri Housing Development Commission - improve the utility’s multifamily program design - improve multifamily owners’ access to energy consumption data - ensure financing products are available for multifamily energy efficiency projects - better align state energy efficiency policy with the utility’s program requirements
Tower Grove Neighborhoods CDC is representing the affordable, multifamily housing sector at Missouri Public Service Commission review of MEEIA rules, impacting utility energy efficiency programs for 2016 - 2018. Low income households spend nearly 14% of their total annual income on energy costs. Other households spend only 3% of their annual income, on average, on energy costs. According to Professor Gary Pivo, in rented multifamily units, energy expenditures run 37% higher per square foot than in owner-occupied multifamily units (i.e. condos), 41% higher than in renter-occupied single family detached units, and 76% higher than in owner-occupied single family detached units. (https://www.fanniemae.com/content/fact_sheet/energy-efficiency-rental-housing.pdf)
Missouri’s Energy Efficiency Investment Act was enacted in 2009 with the passage of SB376. The role of MEEIA is to require Missouri’s investor-owned electric utilities to capture all cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities. Ameren MO launched a suite of customer programs beginning in 2013 as part of a 3 year program. The current Missouri Public Service Commission conferences are tasked to review and recommend improvements to those utility programs. TGNCDC will advocate for improved utility energy efficiency programs for the affordable, multifamily housing sector.
