A growing number of buyers are looking for energy-efficient homes that will be cheaper to heat and cool. But realtors are often unprepared to answer questions about a home’s energy performance.

“Some surveys that were done identified that real estate professionals were saying they were being asked … but that they often didn’t feel comfortable answering those questions or weren’t familiar with that,” says Kathryn Eggers of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

ComEd yesterday [March 1, 2022] submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), which regulates the state’s utilities, a four-year, $1.7 billion plan to expand programs that help business, residential and public sector cus

When most of the world shut down to stay home in the spring of 2020, Ameren Missouri found a way to continue serving families hardest hit by the economic effects of the pandemic to help them save money on their energy bills while keeping them safe.

Check out Loyola University Chicago's Office of Sustainability newsletter and scroll down the the Alumni Spotlight to read an interview with MEEA Executive Director Stacey Paradis. Stacey addresses how Loyola helped prepare her for her career, the role MEEA and energy efficiency play in solving the climate crisis and her advice for students applying for programs and embarking on their own careers.

View the Q&A >

Illinois’ massive new clean energy bill, signed into law last this month, is a landmark in the state’s battle against climate change: a systematic plan for boosting solar and wind power, getting a million electric cars on the road and phasing out coal and natural gas by 2050.

It’s also an opportunity for consumers to save some cash, analysts say.

The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance today (10/4/21) released a report by Synapse Energy Economics that compares benefits before and after changes to state energy efficiency standards made over the last several years in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio.

On June 29, 2021, RENEW Wisconsin hosted a webinar titled “Focus on Energy: Economic Impact in Wisconsin.” Dan York from American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Scott Blankman from Clean Wisconsin, and Maddie Wazowicz from Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) provided an overview of the Focus

High energy costs for lower income families can create a sharp inability to pay and can also lead to negative health outcomes, a study released Thursday by a policy organization stated.

It also issued calls for steps to provide further assistance to households to meet their needs and reduce financial strife.

The study from the Michigan League for Public Policy reported households of up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level face an average shortfall of $1,315 annually between their energy costs and what they can afford to pay.

Iowa’s largest utilities have dramatically scaled back efforts to help customers conserve energy since a 2018 law gutted the state’s efficiency requirements. Dire predictions about the legislation’s impact have largely come true, with combined energy savings of the state’s two largest utilities falling more than 50% since lawmakers voted to limit spending on efficiency programs.

Full electrification remains out of reach for most in the food-service industry, according to an industry expert, but tons of carbon emissions could be prevented immediately by adopting high-efficiency gas equipment.