Village of Clinton partners with Efficiency Smart

The village of Clinton is now offering energy efficiency services to its electric utility customers through a partnership with Efficiency Smart.

By BRAD HEINEMAN

Clinton Local

The village of Clinton is now offering energy efficiency services to its electric utility customers through a partnership with Efficiency Smart.

According to a news release from Carrie Hoover, director of marketing and communications for Efficiency Smart — based in Columbus, Ohio — Efficiency Smart offers several services and financial incentives to help homeowners, renters and businesses reduce their electric use and save money.

“Participation in Efficiency Smart is an important step for the village of Clinton because it gives our residents and businesses practical tools to lower their electric bills while using energy more efficiently,” said Leslie Owens, clerk and office manager for the village of Clinton. “This program helps our community save money and make smart investments in energy without sacrificing reliability.”

Since its launch in 2011, Efficiency Smart has served more than 65 communities in multiple states. Established by American Municipal Power (AMP) for the benefit of its member communities, Efficiency Smart helps residents, businesses and communities use less energy and save money through energy efficiency services.

The partnership with Clinton was solidified at the end of 2025 when the village adopted a localized energy waste reduction program as required by the state of Michigan.

Public Act 229 of 2023, known as the Clean and Renewable Energy and Energy Waste Reduction Act, is an amendment to Michigan’s 2008 energy law, Act 295. According to the state of Michigan, the new legislation sets revised energy waste reduction — abbreviated EWR — targets for electric and natural gas providers, and requires the filing of energy optimization plans, which must include strategies for EWR.

The state is requiring electric utilities to achieve annual energy savings of 1.5% of their total retail sales from the previous year. Natural gas utilities, meanwhile, must achieve annual savings of 0.875%.

Clinton’s energy optimization plan is modeled after an EWR program in place and managed by the city of Coldwater. In Clinton’s case, the plan is a more basic program, Clinton Village Manager Kevin Cornish previously said, to provide those energy waste reduction services through AMP’s Efficiency Smart program.

Efficiency Smart’s residential services help homeowners and renters lower their electricity use and make their homes more comfortable, the news release said. This includes free programs that provide personalized energy efficiency guidance, as well as discounts and rebates on energy-efficient products.

For example, a village of Clinton residential electric customer could: 

• Receive personalized no-cost tips, such as which direction to run their ceiling fan in the summer and winter without adjusting the thermostat.

• Reduce the cost of replacing an outdated appliance with a rebate.

• Use a free online calculator to see how different appliances and systems in their home affect their electric bill.

• Manage their electric use with a smart thermostat to save approximately $70 in annual electric costs.

Business customers also have many ways to save energy and money, the release said. Efficiency Smart offers hands-on support, including technical assistance and financial incentives, to encourage the installation of energy-efficient technologies. Example projects include lighting, compressed air and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning).

For more information about energy efficiency services available for village of Clinton electric customers, visit efficiencysmart.org/clinton-michigan or call 877-889-3777.

“We are excited for the opportunity to work with the village of Clinton,” Sean Clement, director of Efficiency Smart, said in the release. “The village has shown a commitment to energy efficiency, which is a cost-effective way for utilities to reduce their customers’ electric bills, reduce power supply costs and contribute to local economic development. We look forward to working together with Clinton to ensure a successful partnership.”

Efficiency Smart is administered by Vermont Energy Investment Corp. (VEIC), a nonprofit organization that has worked in partnership with AMP since 2008.