Rise Up the MREA

For many, conducting an energy audit and installing energy efficient systems can be a financial challenge. Inclusive financing, like the Pay As You Save (PAYS) program, hopes to ease that challenge by allowing homeowners and tenants to pay a monthly charge along with their utility bill, instead of footing the bill up front or taking out a loan.

Learn how this process works, including the benefits of on-bill financing, available funding options, and how your state can get started in this episode of the Rise Up Podcast featuring James Owen, executive director of Renew Missouri.


Get Connected:

RENEW Wisconsin: https://www.renewwisconsin.org

The Energy Fair: https://www.theenergyfair.org

The MREA: https://www.midwestrenew.org

Email: Info@midwestrenew.org



00:00 James Owen Introduction and Bio

2:19 James’s career

4:22 Enabling legislation

7:26 Pay as you Save financing

14:11 HOMEs and HERA funding

17:14 Benefits of on-bill financing

18:37 Contractor networks and certification

20:36 Financing the donut hole

23:01 Rural electric co-ops and municipal utilities

27:37 PACE vs PAYS

32:02 Guidance for other states

36:54 Inflation Reduction Act

38:35 Solar in PAYS

41:35 Wrap up



ABOUT OUR GUEST: JAMES OWEN

Growing up on a farm in Missouri, James Owen has used his rural roots experience in becoming a dedicated champion for consumer protection and strategic resource management.

In 2017, he was named Executive Director of Renew Missouri. In this capacity, he's dedicated to advancing the organization's goal of positioning Missouri as a leading state in clean energy. His efforts involve policy advocacy, formulation, litigation, public education, as well as outreach initiatives like lobbying and social media.

James holds a BA from Drury University in Springfield and a law degree from the University of Kansas, a licensed attorney in both Kansas and Missouri, allowing him to oversee the legal responsibilities for Renew Missouri. He also serves as an expert witness before the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC). Previously, James was appointed as Public Counsel by Governor Jay Nixon, advocating for the public before the PSC.

Renew Missouri has been leading the charge for a program called Pay As You Save (PAYS), a program designed to help utility customers finance energy efficiency improvements. PAYS stands out from other "on-bill financing" options because it's not a traditional loan. Instead, you agree to a monthly fee on your bill, and the utility covers the costs of energy-efficient upgrades. The key to PAYS is ensuring that the savings from these upgrades are higher than your monthly fee, so you end up saving without any upfront costs.

Becoming more energy efficient not only cuts costs but also helps preserve our planet. Whether it's transitioning to electric, conducting energy audits, or enhancing energy systems, committing to energy efficiency today promises future savings and fosters a healthier environment for everyone.

Discover ways to enhance energy efficiency, with a special focus on agricultural and rural enterprises, in this episode of the Rise Up Podcast. Hear from Jenny Brinker, project manager at GDS Associates, Inc., as she explores the available opportunities and resources for a greener tomorrow.


Get Connected:

RENEW Wisconsin: https://www.renewwisconsin.org

The Energy Fair: https://www.theenergyfair.org

The MREA: https://www.midwestrenew.org

Email: Info@midwestrenew.org



00:00 Background and History

3:45 Jobs in Energy Efficiency

7:27 GDS Associates

9:37 Importance of building energy efficiency

10:57 Decarbonization

13:12 Lowest cost energy efficiency improvements

16:38 Demand charges

20:13 Air source heat pumps

26:56 Building energy efficiently

28:54 Focus on Energy

30:47 Farms and energy efficiency

34:43 Planning and resources

37:20 Challenges facing energy efficiency

41:06 Energy awareness

44:56 Energy professionals and incentives



ABOUT OUR GUEST: JENNY BRINKER

Jenny Brinker is a Project Manager at GDS Associates, Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin and brings over 18 years of expertise in energy efficiency consulting. Focusing on serving farming communities and rural businesses, Brinker’s skills in Energy Management program implementation and technology have made her a key player in driving sustainable energy practices in the agricultural sector.

A Wisconsin native, Brinker holds a Master's degree in Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a Certified Energy Manager recognized by the Association of Energy Engineers.

She has also demonstrated a passion for education. Her involvement in course creation for KEEP (Wisconsin’s K-12 Energy Education Program) has strengthened the school program across the state, and, even after returning to GDS, continues to serve as an adjunct professor for the Energy Management Technology program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. In 2019, Brinker was one of nine instructors nationwide selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE) to study renewable energy storage in Germany and share that knowledge with college programs throughout the United States.

Nick Hylla, MREA Executive Director & Rise Up Podcast host, led Rise Up Live Events and a live panel during The Energy Fair! Participants had the opportunity to hear from the guests of Season 4 throughout the weekend, followed by a Q&A session on Sunday.

On Friday, June 23rd, in the Special Events Tent, attendees enjoyed insightful presentations:


Al Gedicks discussed Sulfide Mining in the Great Lakes Region at 11 a.m.
Jane McCurry shared insights on Electric Vehicle and Clean Transportation Adoption in the Midwest at 12 p.m.
Paul Wilson explored The Role of Nuclear Power in the Energy Transition at 1 p.m.
Chelsea Chandler presented the Corn Ethanol Vs. Solar Land Use Comparison in Wisconsin at 2 p.m.

Saturday, June 24th, in the Special Events Tent, featured more engaging talks:


Elizabeth Turner spoke about Energy Efficient Building Design for Electrification at 11 a.m.
Katie Kienbaum empowered the audience with insights on Empowering Energy Democracy through Distributed Energy Resources at 12 p.m.
Markeeta Keyes discussed Pursuing Energy Justice through Clean Energy Workforce Education at 2 p.m.
Andrew Kell outlined the Wisconsin Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 at 3 p.m.
Tom Content emphasized Putting Consumers First in the Energy Transition at 4 p.m.

Sunday, June 25th, marked the Midwest Energy Transition Panel on the Main Stage at 10:30 a.m. The panel featured the guests from Rise Up Season 4, creating an enlightening discussion on the topic.

Nick Hylla, MREA Executive Director & Rise Up Podcast host, led Rise Up Live Events and a live panel during The Energy Fair! Participants had the opportunity to hear from the guests of Season 4 throughout the weekend, followed by a Q&A session on Sunday.

On Friday, June 23rd, in the Special Events Tent, attendees enjoyed insightful presentations:


Al Gedicks discussed Sulfide Mining in the Great Lakes Region at 11 a.m.
Jane McCurry shared insights on Electric Vehicle and Clean Transportation Adoption in the Midwest at 12 p.m.
Paul Wilson explored The Role of Nuclear Power in the Energy Transition at 1 p.m.
Chelsea Chandler presented the Corn Ethanol Vs. Solar Land Use Comparison in Wisconsin at 2 p.m.

Saturday, June 24th, in the Special Events Tent, featured more engaging talks:


Elizabeth Turner spoke about Energy Efficient Building Design for Electrification at 11 a.m.
Katie Kienbaum empowered the audience with insights on Empowering Energy Democracy through Distributed Energy Resources at 12 p.m.
Markeeta Keyes discussed Pursuing Energy Justice through Clean Energy Workforce Education at 2 p.m.
Andrew Kell outlined the Wisconsin Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 at 3 p.m.
Tom Content emphasized Putting Consumers First in the Energy Transition at 4 p.m.

Sunday, June 25th, marked the Midwest Energy Transition Panel on the Main Stage at 10:30 a.m. The panel featured the guests from Rise Up Season 4, creating an enlightening discussion on the topic.

n a time when corporate spending is protected as free speech, each of us must wonder how our voices will be heard. Utility companies have deep pockets, and their lobbyists are a fixture at state capitol buildings. Big businesses have big energy budgets and their associations are adept at making their issues a priority. And both of these industry sectors work together to create advocacy groups to advance common interests. So, what about residential energy customers? What about small businesses? Our resources pale in comparison. How are our voices heard and how are our concerns addressed?  

Luckily, for most residential and small business ratepayers in the Midwest, we are represented by a state Citizens Utility Board (CUB). These non-profit groups work tirelessly to make sure that our needs are represented at public utility commission and legislative hearings. For decades they have taken a hardnosed approach at keeping electricity costs low while ensuring that expenses aren’t shifted to the electric bills of homes and small businesses. 

In the context of the energy transition, CUBs advocacy role is critically important if we want an energy system that best serves people. We discuss the energy transition and the benefits of increased citizen involvement with Tom Content, long-time journalist and Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin. 

0:20 – Big business energy spending vs residential ratepayers 

1:17 – The role of a Citizens Utility Board 

4:04 – The energy transition’s origins 

8:41 – Decisions surrounding utility rates of return 

11:13 – Importance of CUB and Energy Democracy 

13:35 – CUB funding and activity 

18:11 – Evolving energy issues and solar PV 

20:45 – Energy poverty issues 

28:20 – Impact of recent federal legislation 

33:34 - Coordination recommendations to leverage federal funds 

39:11 – “Magic wand” solutions 

43:21 – Building a movement 



" We need people from across the state to get involved. And because it's your energy future, ...it's all of our energy future. And if we don't get involved, it'll be built for us and it'll focus on the supply side like we've been talking about almost way too exclusively. We need the public to say to demand energy efficiency. "

- Tom Content, Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin



ABOUT OUR GUEST: TOM CONTENT

Tom is the Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board. He joined CUB in 2017 after working for more than 30 years as a journalist. He became interested in energy and what it costs households while sitting in the back seat, waiting for what seemed like forever, during the gas lines of the ‘70s. After graduating from Boston University’s College of Communication Tom worked at newspapers in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania before moving to Wisconsin. He reported on utilities and worked as business editor at the Green Bay-Press Gazette in the 1990s and then moved to Milwaukee, where he covered energy, utilities and sustainable business for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His reporting on energy and climate change won the National Press Club’s Stokes Award for Energy Writing in 2007.  

The first and largest US financial maneuver in response to COVID-19 was an unprecedented bailout of Wall Street investors to head off an impending stock market crash.  Building upon the “Modern Monetary Theory” implemented to bail out the banking sector after the mortgage default crisis in 2008, the Federal Reserve committed up to $10 trillion in support for investors. As a result, the stock market became a graph of shareholder feelings while 30 million Americans had already filed jobless claims. 

Millions of Americans live in debt, survive paycheck to paycheck, and work in the service industry which was mothballed - leaving people at home with deep feelings of insecurity. By May 25th 2020, US Billionaires were $434 billion richer on invented money, and we were watching George Floyd die tragically on the North Minneapolis streets at the hands of a police officer.  

The alleged crime that led to his death?  Passing a counterfeit $20 bill.  

It’s tempting to say the rest is history, but it might be more accurate to say that it’s a continuation of history. North Minneapolis, like many cities in America, continues to suffer from policies established in the early 1900’s that restricted minority home ownership and access to financing.  Collectively known as redlining, the policies included racially restricted covenants on property deeds preventing African Americans and other groups from buying homes in much of the City. Over time, the policies evolved to become lending restrictions that blocked access to business loans and home mortgages.  

In the context of the energy transition, numerous studies show the elevated risk of low-income neighborhoods to pollution caused by the energy industry, that low-income households pay 3 times more of their household income for energy bills than higher income households, and that both of these factors are correlated with historically red-lined areas. In the wake of the financial bailout of investors, hard fought public policy wins over the last two years are set to allocate resources to programs and initiatives working to address the inequities.  

These include Minneapolis Green Zones, the City’s Green cost share program and Green Careers Exploration program, and the Minneapolis Climate Equity Action Plan. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, significant federal funding is directed to clean energy investments and job training programs in low-income neighborhoods, and the state of Minnesota just passed sweeping legislation that advances environmental protections and clean energy investment in designated environmental justice communities. 

The prospect of city, state, and federal policies working together to make the next decade of local clean energy development benefit North Minneapolis and other areas of need in the city, is very real. And the people working in the neighborhood to make sure this happens are as real as it gets. We’ve had the privilege of working with a number of local groups to provide solar installation training in North Minneapolis over the last 3 years and are inspired by their accomplishments and the opportunities that they are creating.  To discuss the opportunities and challenges, we talked with Markeeta Keyes who leads the Green Careers Exploration program with the City of Minneapolis. 


 Host: Nick Hylla, MREA Executive Director 
Guest: Markeeta Keyes, Green Careers Program Coordinator, City of Minneapolis