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Current Blog Posts
Understanding the Financial Position of Households Using the American Community Survey
In previous posts, we have talked about publicly available data on inflationary measures including the Consumer Price Index and the Construction Cost Index as well as on commercial energy use from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the US Census. The US Census also has…
$napShot: Smart Meters Can Lead to a Flood of Data
During the 2014 North Carolina Water and Wastewater Finance course, the Town of Cary and Sensus Inc. presented to the class on a panel entitled “Smart Technology and Water Finance.” During the panel, Karen Mills,…
Encouraging Investments in Wetland and Water Quality Improvements on Private Property through Low-Interest Loans
Restoration and protection of wetlands is one of the four core elements of a wetland program, as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Some restoration and protection takes place through wetland regulatory activities, such…
Eight Communication Strategies to Help Water Utilities Get the Rates They Need
Water utilities face trying times when communicating the need to increase rates to cover the increasing costs of operating water and wastewater utilities. The issues are complex. The public is constantly bombarded with news from…
Is Uniform the Next Trend in Water Rates?
Growing up in a country where school uniforms were mandatory, I viewed uniforms as, well …, “boring!” At least that was the way I felt in high school. One of the most engaging classes I…
Designing Water Rate Structures for Conservation and Revenue Stability
Water conservation is critical to meeting the future water needs of Texas. Many programs may be implemented to reduce water use, and a number of utilities across the State are making strong efforts to advance water…
The Secret to Paying for Environmental Programs
Beginning around this time every year, I start to come across annual reports summarizing governmental, non-profit, and other organizations’ progress in different environmental and financial pursuits. Some annual reports are all about finance, some are…
Charging into the Question of Affordability: Residential Electric Rates in North Carolina from 2011 to 2013
David Tucker is a Project Director at the Environmental Finance Center at UNC Chapel Hill. How affordable are electric rates for “average” or “typical” residential customers in North Carolina? That is a complicated question to…