Nebraskans may not have needed as much air conditioning this summer as have people in the Southwest, but so far 2023 is tied for the most 100-degree days in the past 10 years.

It means more A-C use and higher utility costs for many. As of May, nearly 20 million Americans were behind on their utility bills.

Britton Gabel, manager of advocacy solutions for Omaha Public Power, said its Energy Efficiency Assistance Program helps income-eligible homeowners qualify for up to $2,000 in home efficiency improvements. They must participate in a home energy audit, which he said often identifies five areas needing improvements.

"Insulation, LED retrofits -- meaning upgraded lighting -- rim-joist insulation and window and door sealing," Gabel outlined. "And the other things that come into play are old, inefficient appliances."

Gabel pointed out homeowners and single-home renters in their 13-county district with incomes of less than 200% of federal poverty guidelines, currently $60,000 for a family of four, are eligible.

As far as non-income-based incentives, he noted their rebates for installing heat pumps are extremely popular, as are smaller energy-saving incentives such as their Cool Smart and Smart Thermostat programs. Details about these and other incentive programs are available on the OPPD website, along with information about Inflation Reduction Act tax incentives.

The Nebraska Public Power District serves retail and wholesale customers in 84 of Nebraska's 93 counties and also gets a lot of interest in rebates for heat-pump installation.

Steve Zach, energy efficiency supervisor for the district, said they use about two-thirds of their incentive allotment. On a smaller scale, he noted their cooling system tune-up is very popular and includes a $30 credit.

"They'll check for things like filters; they'll check refrigerant levels and pressures, whether your outdoor unit is plugged by cotton, perhaps," Zach explained. "A lot of times those technicians can find things that help those units run much more efficiently in the future."

Nebraska Public Power's EnergyWise program includes incentives for homes, businesses, ag operations, lawn and garden and electric vehicles.

Zach considered the programs a "win-win-win."

"I think it lets our customers know that we are concerned about them," Zach emphasized. "That we are doing these things because it's in their best interest, and as well as in ours, and as well as in the best interest of the environment."

At EnergyWisenebraska.com, customers can explore energy conservation incentives offered by Nebraska Public Power as well as 18 other Nebraska power utilities.

Southwestern Pennsylvania is a major U.S. hotspot for gas extraction through fracking, but new polling reveals overwhelming public support for tighter industry oversight.

More than four in ten Pennsylvanians told pollsters they'd support an outright ban on fracking.

Sean O'Leary, senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, said the poll was conducted to assess voters' attitudes toward the fracking industry.

Multiple questions were asked about what could be done to minimize or reduce some of the impacts of fracking.

"And what we found was that, across the board, across a variety of different measures," said O'Leary, "more than 90% of all Pennsylvanians supported increased efforts in those regards."

O'Leary points to a recent University of Pittsburgh study that found significant health risks associated with living near fracking sites.

The poll shows 86% of Pennsylvanians are broadly concerned about water, and 82% about air pollution.

Nearly eight in ten say they worry about the effects of pollution on their family's and community's health. And more than four in ten believe fracking has negative effects on air and water quality.

O'Leary said voters in Pennsylvania are still generally supportive of the natural gas industry.

But he said he believes that's the result of what he called "a widespread misunderstanding" that fracking is vital to Pennsylvania's economy.

He contended fracking has led to a net loss of jobs and population in some counties, causing significant economic loss to these regions.

"The other thing that I think a lot of people are not aware of is that in Pennsylvania, in just the last four years, the fracking industry has laid off 40% of its workforce," said O'Leary. "Four out of every 10 workers in fracking have lost their jobs."

He said early industry-funded studies predicted fracking would create around 250,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.

But recent data show it's been fewer than 20,000, or less than one-percent of the state's total workforce.

A recent study from the Sierra Club found people in Brookfield, Connecticut, could face severe effects from a proposed compressor station expansion.

The pipeline's owners conducted their own health study but the Sierra Club said it was flawed and did not account for several factors. The new study showed people nearby will face higher fine particulate matter emissions and many other noxious gases, like carbon monoxide.

Kerry Swift, a longtime Brookfield resident, said it began with one compressor station back in 2006.

"The next year they put in for two and now they want four," Swift explained. "There's these three huge interstate pipelines that are aging and they're putting more and more compressor stations on them; putting more and more gas through them, which they weren't built for."

A major issue Swift and other residents have with the expansion is the emissions will vent 1,900 feet from Whisconier Middle School. The town's elected officials and residents want the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to deny the project's air permits. Along with Brookfield, the village of Athens, New York recently passed a resolution urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to similarly deny air permits for the expansion.

Another concern about the expansion is Connecticut is supposed to cut greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030.

Nick Katkevich, campaign organizing strategist for the Sierra Club, noted an electric compressor station could be better for the environment but said blowdowns would still be a problem.

"Basically what's happening is the company needs to release pressure on the pipeline so they'll do it at the compressor facility and basically just shooting huge amounts of fracked gas into the air," Katkevich explained.

The companies have said it would be too expensive to convert the compressor station to electricity. Katkevich added along with committing to air monitoring in Brookfield, the state's energy department should meet with people in town before approving expansion permits. However, the department has declined the invitation for two years.

New York State authorized utilities to develop thermal energy network pilot programs to further its decarbonization goals. Thermal energy networks use non-emitting energy sources like geothermal boreholes or waste-heat, to heat and cool buildings. Eleven pilot projects stem from commitments made in the 2022 Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act.

Allison Considine, senior campaigns and communications manager for New York, Building Decarbonization Coalition, said college campuses with these systems are seeing a striking number of benefits.

"Using a thermal energy network, especially with geothermal is about six times more efficient than using a traditional gas furnace or oil furnace," she explained.

She added that buildings must go electric if New York will reach its decarbonization goals. Though the state's Building Code Council included the All-Electric Buildings Act in its 2025 draft code update, neighborhoods still face challenges in implementing thermal energy networks. Considine said barriers in state law prevent utilities from connecting multiple independently owned buildings to a thermal energy network.

The pilot programs could reach active construction by 2026 or 2027. They'll be online for five years so the respective utility agencies can gather data about their efficacy. But, to ensure the transition to cleaner fuels, Considine said certain laws have to be changed to move New York away from fossil fuel energy systems.

"And there's a provision on the books, we kind of call it New York's pro-gas mandate, which requires utilities to continue delivering gas service if a customer demands it, even if there is a less polluting, more affordable alternative for that customer," she added.

The New York HEAT Act would end this rule and allow the state to move toward a more energy-efficient future. The bill gives the state's Public Service Commission authority to align utility companies with the state's climate laws. It also phases out gas line extension allowances, which reduced the use of gas in the state.