September 29, 2025 | Josh Valentine, Communications Director, SWEEP

This year, Energy Efficiency Day (October 1) lands in a tough moment. Federal rollbacks — capped by the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act — have taken a hatchet to many of the tools that helped families and businesses save energy and money.

But here in the Southwest, we’re not waiting for Washington. Cities, state energy offices, utilities, advocates, and partners are still getting real work done — cutting waste, strengthening the grid, and keeping costs in check.

What changed, in plain language

• Fewer consumer incentives. Popular tax credits for electric vehicles, home upgrades, and efficient buildings were cut back or ended early. That means less help for families trying to save on bills and pollution.
• Wind and solar. Big projects face earlier deadlines and new restrictions, while complicated supply-chain rules add red tape. Some narrow credits grew, but the net effect is more uncertainty and slower clean energy build-out.
• Real-world fallout. We can expect pressure on jobs, project pipelines, and customer bills if energy efficiency and renewable energy is slowed and we lean more on expensive, polluting fuels. 

What we do next: local action that works

While challenging, Federal headwinds aren’t a stop sign. In our region, real progress still comes from state commissions, utility programs, city leadership, and community partnerships. The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is focused on practical moves that protect affordability and reliability:

• Efficiency first for load growth. Data centers, AI, and electrification are driving real load growth — but it can be manageable when we scale the cheapest “resource” we have: energy savings from efficiency.
• Modern demand-side management. Smarter program design, better customer journeys, and demand flexibility keep the lights on without breaking the bank.
• Thoughtful electrification. Sequencing upgrades (insulation + heat pumps + smart controls) keeps homes comfortable and bills reasonable.
• Rate design that helps people. Align energy prices with system needs while protecting low-income customers.
• Transparency and collaboration. Clear metrics, open data, and utility-partner coordination keeps our mission going forward.

What SWEEP is doing

• Tracking and translating fast-moving changes so local leaders, utilities, and businesses can act.
• Bringing stakeholders together to turn ideas into programs that save customers money and reduce emissions.
• Lifting up our Allies’ solutions and helping them have the right conversations at the right time.

The bottom line for EEDay 2025: federal support may have shrunk, but local action hasn’t. In the Southwest, we’re still moving — faster, smarter, and together. Check out the Energy Efficiency Day website for more information.