A provision in the North Carolina Senate’s Appropriations Act of 2017 would eliminate the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service (DEACS). This agency oversees many energy efficiency initiatives, including the Utility Savings Initiative and the state’s Performance Contracting Program. Last week, the Alliance joined businesses such as Ameresco, Dow, and Stromberg Metal Works in signing a letter urging that the DEACS be continued and fully funded in the final FY2017-2018 budget. These energy efficiency programs save money for all North Carolina businesses, consumers and government entities — whether or not they participate directly in energy-saving efforts. For example, the Utility Savings Initiative alone has already delivered over $1 billion in energy cost reductions for taxpayers.
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