How do unpaid bills affect utilities’ finances? Is customer debt similar to debt incurred investing in infrastructure, such as building new facilities? These are inquiries the EFC received a few weeks ago, related to recent news that Western Pennsylvania gas … Read more

On-bill financing is receiving a lot of attention as an innovative strategy to improve energy efficiency make people’s homes more comfortable. One of the major advantages of on-bill financing is that it can be offered to property owners who can’t cover the … Read more

How can small (and large) water systems pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy, helping cut energy costs? As energy is often the largest variable expense in a water system’s operating budget, this is a recurring question for the ongoing Smart … Read more

At our workshops and through our discussions with water systems during technical assistance work, many water systems, in particular small systems, ask what seems like a simple question: “Are our rates right?” I suspect our initial answer is somewhat unsatisfying: “It depends.” … Read more

About 96% of the population in Puerto Rico receives water from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA). But the other 4% of the population is supplied by about 240 very small water systems. In teaching workshops this year … Read more

Much of the dialogue around the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure needs focuses on the enormous estimates associated with repairing and rehabilitating existing systems. But for some families, the challenge hits much closer to home. For them, the obstacle has less to do with the billion-dollar cost of fixing our nation’s existing water systems, and much more to do with the cost of running water lines from existing systems to their neighborhoods.

By Cole Wilhelmi and David Tucker Ongoing severe drought conditions in the American Southwest offer the powerful reminder that our water resources should not be taken for granted. With increasing environmental pressure comes greater demand for policies and technologies that … Read more

Water pricing is a delicate art, as utilities often must balance competing priorities when setting rates. How can the utility set rates that ensure financial sustainability for the system while also balancing affordability concerns for customers? With any rate increase, … Read more

With their lush vegetation, high annual rainfall levels, and panoramic views of water, you might think that Caribbean islands have escaped many of the water management problems that other communities experience. But managing water in this setting has many challenges. Recurrent flooding problems are … Read more

Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, is a useful tool for any innovative financier’s toolkit.  Today, we’re taking a closer look at PACE specifically in North Carolina. PACE 101 But first:  A quick recap on PACE.  PACE programs reduce the … Read more