NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC)

Leveraging AI to Expand Home Electrification and Efficiency Incentive Data Access

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) is a leading source of information on policies and incentives that support renewable energy and energy efficiency, but its utility incentive data had been maintained through manual reviews of program websites. Because utility programs can change frequently, this approach did not always capture the latest information, and it limited coverage to utilities with 30,000 or more customers, leaving many smaller electric utilities outside DSIRE’s scope. To address this gap, the project developed an AI-based process to scan electric utility websites, identify text relevant to financial incentives, and extract key details about incentives for renewable energy systems, electrification devices, energy-efficient equipment, and building improvements. The effort produced a training dataset and a working model or application intended to help staff keep the system updated and support the addition of information from smaller utilities into DSIRE, expanding the potential to track incentive programs that were previously difficult to monitor at scale.