Last month, our partners at Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) in Asheville, NC, were awarded the Energy Innovator award from the Energy Innovation Task Force (EITF) for their outstanding work implementing energy saving efforts. MHO successfully enrolled 600 of their residents in the Duke EnergyWise Home program, which addresses the region's peak-energy problem by allowing Duke to cycle down energy use when the demand is at its highest. With initiatives like this in place, the Asheville community was able to push back the implementation of a gas-fired peaker plant - a facility that would have cost residential and business ratepayers more than $100 million - paid for through higher electricity bills.

"We are proud to be working in a community that takes energy conservation seriously," stated Cindy Weeks, Vice President & Director of Community Investment for MHO. "The Chair of the Buncombe County Commission, Brownie Newman, initiated the EITF as a collaboration with Duke Energy and other partners.  Brownie has more than 20 years of history working hard in the state of North Carolina to reduce carbon emissions and utilizing alternative energy when possible. At the same time, Brownie is a strong proponent of affordable housing, so this collaborative process was a winner. As all of us know, low-income households are often the most efficient users of electricity because they trim their electrical use for budgetary reasons. Providing our residents with other ways to save was a win-win as well."

To read the entire article regarding the peaker plant and MHO's award, click here.