Energy conservation — helping customers use less energy and get more value out of what they do consume — is a powerful tool Northwest electric utilities rely on to keep rates low.
Pioneering new methods and products to make our homes, appliances and electronics more efficient is critical to protecting the energy grid and reducing costly investments in new electrical generation and transmission, but the time and effort required is a task too big for any one power company to undertake.
That’s why more than 140 utilities and energy-efficiency organizations representing more than 13 million energy customers have banded together to form the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. For 25 years, the alliance has worked to identify and remove market barriers to energy efficiency and drive lasting positive change throughout the supply chain — put simply: market transformation.
Clark Public Utilities is a member and funder of the alliance. Utility staff participate on NEEA’s board and in workgroups and coordinating committees that are focused on specific products and services, like HVAC measures and consumer products. Other utility employees help the alliance drive their mission and plan future projects, such as Clark Public Utilities’ Manager of Energy Debbie DePetris, who is a member of the NEEA Regional Portfolio Advisory Committee.
“For our customers, there are two huge benefits to market transformation,” DePetris said. “For one, the goods they buy, everything from TVs to light bulbs, become more energy efficient more quickly than they would naturally, which helps keep a household’s monthly electric bills down without big lifestyle changes. Second, when large numbers of people begin using these more efficient products, we, as an at-cost energy utility, don’t have to produce or purchase as much electricity as we might otherwise, and that helps us avoid having to raise rates.”
The dues Clark Public Utilities pays as an NEEA member return as dividends long into the future.
NEEA has numerous energy conservation success stories. For example, NEEA was a driving force behind the popularity of heat pumps and ductless heat pumps, both of which offer tremendous energy savings over other sources of electric heat without any sacrifice to personal comfort or convenience.
Perhaps the greatest achievement in the alliance’s history is the modern television. NEEA was the largest driving force that pushed TV manufacturers away from energy-guzzling plasma screens to super-efficient LED screen technology. According to NEEA, when that program ceased in 2014, the market for flat-screen high-definition TV transformed and saved the region enough energy to power more than 30,000 Northwest homes each year.
As an energy provider in Washington, Clark Public Utilities is required to meet set energy-efficiency targets every year. As a member of NEEA, Clark Public Utilities receives reportable energy savings it uses to help meet those mandated annual conservation targets. Historically, the NEEA energy savings have been some of the most cost-effective savings in the utility’s entire portfolio.
So, next time you’re shopping for a new appliance, comparing the cost and features of different models, remember the monumental behind-the-scenes effort to make those appliances as energy efficient as possible.
Organizations like NEEA are doing that good work throughout the year, with support in part by regional utilities like Clark Public Utilities.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
