The Green Book: Tracking Pacific Northwest Electric Utility Conservation
Achievements 1978-1994
February 29, 1996 | document 96-2
Related links: Current
conservation achievements
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The latest version of the Northwest Power Planning Council's energy
conservation Green Book, Nutrak94, describes Northwest utility
accomplishments in acquiring conservation as an electricity resource from
1978 through 1994. In 1994, the region as a whole and most Northwest
utilities met or exceeded their conservation targets. On behalf of the
Council, I want to commend the region's utilities and conservation
industry for a job well done. We also want to thank the Nutrak reporting
utilities for their perseverance in providing their information to the
regional conservation tracking effort.
The Council recognizes that economic forces in the electricity
marketplace are making conservation more difficult to pursue as a utility
resource investment. At the same time, the forces of a more competitive
utility environment are driving retail utilities toward an active
marketing effort to serve and retain their customers -- an effort where
conservation services can play a part.
In a recent survey by the Council, the region's utility industry
reported that 1995 conservation savings will be about the same as 1994,
about 120 average megawatts. Utility conservation plans and other
obligations are likely to secure another 70 average megawatts per year in
1996 and 1997 and about 60 average megawatts per year in 1998 and 1999. As
would be expected with lower avoided costs, future savings are expected to
be only about half the 1994-1995 level. The survey indicates a degree of
stability at the local level for utility customers and conservation
providers. It also sends a clear message that the future will be different
from the past.
One reason future conservation levels will probably be lower than in
the past is the fact that our region has so successfully captured the
conservation opportunities that were before us. Many measures that were
utility-funded in the past have now become standard practice. The Council
estimates that in 1996 the region will benefit from about 1,000 average
megawatts of energy savings as a direct result of utility-funded
conservation achieved since passage of the Northwest Power Act.
It is clear that conservation -- along with many other facets of the
utility industry -- will be recast through the coming transition. It is
the Council's hope that the wealth of conservation information available
to the region through Nutrak will be materially helpful as new approaches
to energy efficiency are identified and pursued.
Sincerely, John Etchart
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