Public Utilities Committee Meeting, May 6

At the May 6th City of Springfield Public Utilities Committee meeting the results of the IRP was presented to the Springfield City Council. The Energy Authority, Inc. (TEA) conducted the IRP by compiling and analyzing economic data of CWLP’s existing electric resources along with the economic data of other options such as wind, solar, natural gas combustion turbine, smaller reciprocating engines, power purchases from the market, demand side management and energy storage. Their presentation (see above) showed the results of a number of energy portfolios scenarios, including plant retirements and various generation mixes.

IRP Open House, May 20

An open house for the public to learn more about the results was held on Monday, May 20th at Lincoln Public Library.

CWLP residential water customers have racked up water and bill savings by getting the utility’s High Efficiency Toilet Rebate. Those participating replaced an existing toilet with a new high-efficiency WaterSense®-labeled model and received a $50 rebate from CWLP for their purchase in addition to the savings. Since inception of the program in 2012, the utility has issued 432 rebates representing an estimated water savings of 788,000 gallons.

Toilets installed before 1980 can use as much as 5 gallons of water with every flush, while the high efficiency models use 1.28 gallons or less per flush. Recent advancements have allowed these toilets to use 20 percent less water than the current Federal standard, 1.6 gallons, while still providing equal or better performance than previous low-flow models.

CWLP Water Customers wishing to participate in this program should complete a rebate application and provide a receipt for the new toilet, within 60 days of purchase. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis and one rebate per CWLP water account will be permitted.

The northern arm of Lake Springfield is now home to multiple new fish “attractors” thanks to a partnership between the Springfield Crappie Club and CWLP. Last month, 10 sites with a total of 60 man-made fish habitats, structures composed of recycled drainage tile and PVC piping, were placed in the lake (photos attached). All materials for the structures are nontoxic and non-carcinogenic. In addition to providing habitat for fish, the placement of attractors helps position and better distribute fishing boat traffic away from crowded or private docks and provides better concentration of game fish to this region of the lake.

CWLP Lake Manager Quentin Jordan said this project brought together a number of groups to bring a unique opportunity to the lake. “The Springfield Crappie Club and CWLP boat patrol brought the idea forward after seeing Lake Shelbyville have some success with these habitat installations,” he said. “The Illinois Department of Natural Resources provided siting and design assistance and then a number of agencies volunteered their time to locate and seek donations for materials, plus assembly in order to get these placed in Lake Springfield.”

Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) manages fishing and partners with CWLP for fish stocking efforts and other resource protection measures. Each location (map attached) for the habitats was chosen based on fish availability, access, and boat traffic. The structures, which range in size from three to five feet long and three feet tall, were placed at depths to not cause issues if the lake level were to drop.

Lake Springfield is home to a full season of fishing tournaments annually, with 91 tournaments held in 2018. Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Bluegill, White Bass, Blue Catfish, and Flathead Catfish have higher populations in Lake Springfield, while the Crappie population is improving. IDNR’s hatchery/rearing pond is currently working to help increase the crappie population. More information on Lake Springfield’s fish populations and outlook can be found here.

The CWLP Land & Water Resources Department and the Springfield Crappie Club were assisted by the following for the fish attractor project.

• IL Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
• City, Water, Light, and Power Lake Security
• Lowes Home Improvement (Wabash Ave)
• Egizii Electric, Inc.
• UA Local 137 Plumbers and Steamfitters
• Lake Area Recycling Services

On Monday, December 10th a Public Utilities Committee meeting was held on a potential project for the Electric Division. The meeting included presentations from University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center on a potential carbon capture project for Dallman Unit 4; as well as project updates from the CWLP Water Division on Lake Springfield watershed protection programs, Water Works Improvement Projects and status of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement as it relates to a supplemental water supply for the utility. You can view our presentation documents here.

On 11/28/18 Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, Earthjustice, and the Environmental Integrity Project published a report titled “Cap and Run” looking at groundwater data for disposal of coal ash by Illinois power plants.

CWLP staff have taken a preliminary look at the report, “Cap and Run,” released 11/28/18 and don’t find newly revealed data or concern with regard to the ash ponds currently serving the Dallman complex. CWLP will not “cap and run” from its ash ponds and follows and complies with all coal ash regulations. The utility has been participating in groundwater monitoring programs for the vicinity of the ash pond areas and is the source of the monitoring data for its sites cited in the report, which also includes data from other Illinois power plants.

The ash ponds, located downstream and downgradient from Lake Springfield, do not pose a risk to the City’s water supply. There are not any privately-owned, potable wells at risk from CWLP ash ponds in the area.

Other report claims with regard to CWLP ash ponds are inaccurate and misleading. The report states the CWLP ash ponds would be underwater in a 100-year flood, which is not true. In section 14, “CWLP’s defective monitoring keeps Illinoisans in the dark” is misleading. CWLP uses appropriate detection monitoring for its ash pond facilities, which are in compliance with regulations, and regularly makes the monitoring data publicly available and posts it on its website.

As the report notes, the utility is already planning for closure of the ash ponds that receive ash from Dallman 1, 2 and 3. Dallman 4 was constructed with a dry ash handling system and does not send ash to these ponds. The report prematurely criticizes and cites a closure plan still in development. The utility’s recommendation on method of closure, whether by capping, removal or lining the ponds, has not been made and will follow Federal regulations, which allow the utility time to develop closure plans.

Similar to today’s report referencing CWLP and its ash ponds, a current complaint by the Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network and NAACP on file with the Illinois Pollution Control Board with regard to CWLP ash ponds, is premature and out of context given that the City and CWLP are already working on a closure plan. These organizations are subjecting Springfield citizens to costly and unnecessary litigation, rather than waiting for CWLP’s closure plans to be developed as the rules allow.

As a publicly-owned, citizen-owned utility, CWLP has long operated as an environmental leader in the industry. CWLP also has a record of being proactive in addressing environmental issues and following regulations in order to protect both air and water quality.

Installing a new high-efficiency heat pump can save you money and earn you a rebate on your CWLP electric bill.

In addition, customers who install heat pumps as their primary1 heating source are eligible for the utility's Electric Heat Rate, which provides a 9% savings over CWLP's regular residential electric rate from September 16 through May 15. NOTE: Customers who are currently on CWLP's Electric Rates 34-37 already receive this savings.

The Heat Pump Rebate is available to CWLP electric customers who install qualifying air-source or geothermal heat pumps in their new or existing residential or commercial properties. (Any structure that is not owner-occupied, including apartment complexes, retirement facilities and office buildings, is considered a commercial property for purposes of this rebate program. For commercial heat pump rebates, pre-approval from CWLP prior to system installation is required.
Heat Pump Rebate Announcement

The amount of your rebate depends on whether or not your heat pump is an air-source or geothermal system. For an Air-Source System, your rebate will be $300 per ton of installed cooling capacity. For a Geothermal System your rebate will be $500 per ton of installed cooling capacity.Rebates are granted on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts. All rebates under $1,000 will be provided as bill credits. For rebates of $1,000 or higher, customers may opt to receive their rebate in check form by marking the appropriate box on the rebate application and providing their social security number or, in the case of commercial applicants, a W-9 form. Checks are available only for rebate amounts of $1,000 or more.

All equipment model numbers will be verified through the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) Directory of Certified Unitary Equipment. In addition, CWLP reserves the right to make on-site inspections of heat pump installations before granting rebates. To receive a Heat Pump Rebate, residential customers must complete and return a Heat Pump Rebate Application to CWLP within one year of the heat pump's installation date.

To qualify for the Heat Pump Rebate program, commercial customers must apply for pre-approval from CWLP prior to installing their heat pump system.

• CWLP will determine if your heat pump qualifies as your "primary heating system" using a formula that factors your building's square footage and the heat pump's heating capacity.
• New commercial water loop systems will be considered for rebate eligibility on a case-by-case basis. Contact the Energy Services Office at 217.789.2070 or by email at nrgxprts@cwlp.com for more information.
• British thermal units (BTUs) per hour. Each "ton" of cooling capacity built into a heat pump or air conditioner equals 12 kBTU per hour (12,000 BTU/h). Residential central cooling systems typically range in size from two to four tons of cooling capacity (24 to 48 kBTUh).

Once you are pre-approved for the rebate you can continue the application process. To apply for your residential heat pump rebate, following installation complete and sign a Residential Heat Pump Rebate Application, have your contractor sign it, and submit it—along with a detailed sales receipt that includes equipment model numbers and the total project cost—to CWLP within one year of the installation date.
Heat Pump Rebate Form



Commercial Water Loop Heat Pump Rebate
Rebates for commercial water loop heat pump systems are available on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the CWLP Energy Services by phone at 217.789.2070 or email at nrgxprts@cwlp.com for information about this program.

Home energy audits and technical assistance programs helping people save.

City Water, Light and Power Energy Experts are in the business of helping Springfield residents and commercial customers save money and energy through the utility’s various technical assistance programs. The CWLP Energy Experts offer a Money-Back Home Energy Audit program to help residential electric customers reduce their energy usage, save money, address drafts, or just to help them figure out what to do to make their home more efficient. In addition, the Energy Experts can also provide residents and businesses on-site assistance and conduct individual account assessments to help identify efficiency issues or usage questions.

CWLP MONEY-BACK HOME ENERGY AUDIT
CWLP's home energy audit, which is covered by a one-time $25 fee added to a customer’s electric bill, is available to anyone owning or residing in a residential property that receives metered electric service from CWLP. The audit take about two hours to complete in most homes and involves a search for inefficiencies in the home from the attic to the basement, a blower door test and a thorough assessment detailing any problems.

After the audit is complete, the Energy Expert will provide the customer with a packet of efficiency products selected based on the needs identified by the audit. In addition to reviewing findings with the customer as the audit and blower door test are in progress, the Energy Expert will write a report that details all of the improvement recommendations, share information on available rebates and provide savings estimates achievable from each. If any or all of the improvements listed in the audit report are made within one year of the initial audit and the customer completes a follow-up audit, a $25 rebate will be issued to the customer.

SMART SOLUTIONS HOME EFFICIENCY WORKSHOPS
The CWLP Energy Services Office offers “Smart Solutions,” home efficiency workshops throughout the year at the Lincoln Library and on-demand in a group setting for organizations or neighborhood groups, who have a minimum of 15 attendees. In most cases, the workshops can be set up at the convenience of the requesting organization.

COMMERCIAL FACILITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
CWLP offers free facility technical assistance to commercial electric customers upon request. Included in a commercial facility technical assistance is a walk-through evaluation of the business' energy systems, including lighting, HVAC and thermostat operation, water heating and other specialized equipment or systems. During the walk-through, the Energy Expert also addresses specific concerns and can provide tips on equipment or operational changes that could be made to reduce energy usage, as well as information about rebates, grants and other incentives for improving energy or water efficiency that might be available from CWLP and other sources.

CWLP Energy Experts also can provide the customer with billing histories in both table and graphical form and explain the bill components. Comparisons of weather-related data can also be provided, allowing the customer to understand the impact weather can and has had on consumption.

GENERAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMES OR BUSINESSES
The general Technical Assistance (TA) program offered by CWLP is designed to help customers who are experiencing efficiency-related problems in their homes or businesses or who have any type of energy efficiency question. TAs, which are free of charge to CWLP electric customers, can be conducted on-site, over the phone, by mail, or by email—depending on the circumstances and needs of the customer.

Some TAs are investigatory in nature, such as those provided to customers who call with high-bill concerns. Some are educational in nature, such as those that teach customers how to use automatic setback thermostats and provide advice about various efficiency tools, choosing a heating and cooling contractor, or making economic comparisons of energy systems. The CWLP Energy Experts can even help customers design energy efficiency into the structure before building a new home or business.

To make an appointment or for more information on the CWLP Money Back Home Energy Audit or any of the technical assistance programs, customers can call the CWLP Energy Services Office at 789-2070 or email nrgxprts@cwlp.com.

CWLP works to minimize service interruptions and have the lights on all the time. When a power outage does occur, however, a new tool if now available to customers to view and track outages online. The new Electric outage map is a vendor application deployed by CWLP Electric Transmission & Distribution staff to allow the public to view and track outages. The map, fielded with data by Electric Operations-Dispatch, allows customers to see area outages in near real-time, see where crews are assigned and confirm whether their address is in an outage or not.
Outage Map