Impressive Energy Efficiency Success for Idaho Power

Last month, Idaho Power filed its Demand-Side Management 2009 Annual Report highlighting the past year’s accomplishments and recognizing the company’s energy efficiency achievements and those of its customers.

As in the past, Idaho Power is stepping forward on all fronts, continuing its commitment to diligent execution of energy efficiency initiatives, and in partnership with customers, demonstrating its commitment to securing its energy future.

The pursuit of all cost-effective energy efficiency is a primary objective for Idaho Power. Energy efficiency provides economic, operational, and environmental benefits to the company and its customers. Both benefited from another year of increased energy and demand savings as well as enhanced activities in energy efficiency education and customer outreach. Enhancement of programs and offerings helps ensure that customers have opportunities to participate in programs and manage their energy usage.

“Our 2009 achievements in energy efficiency are an impressive milestone,” said Theresa Drake, manager of Customer Relations and Energy Efficiency. “The Demand-Side Management 2009 Annual Report illustrates the value of participation in energy efficiency programs and the importance of their success. We are very proud of what we have accomplished as a company in partnership with our customers; they are absolutely making a difference by participating in these programs. If you’re not participating, now is the time to act."

“Energy efficiency and demand response programs offer many possibilities, including lower bills for our customers when they reduce consumption,” Drake added. “These programs give customers options and control. In addition, energy efficiency is our first resource to offset the need to build new generation resources or purchase power from wholesale markets—often at a premium. This helps us keep customer rates low.”

In 2009, Idaho Power customers saved 132,443,336 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity through “in-house” programs, an increase of 23.2 percent over 2008. Idaho Power’s investment to help customers use energy wisely increased from $20.2 million in 2008 to $33.9 million in 2009, a 67.3 percent increase. In addition, annual energy savings from Idaho Power’s energy efficiency activities increased 7.8 percent in 2009 to 148,256 megawatt-hours (MWh), including savings from the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA). This is more than enough energy to supply over 11,000 average homes in Idaho Power’s service area.

The report also points out that demand reduction for Idaho Power’s demand response programs has more than tripled from 61 megawatts (MW) in 2008 to 218 MW in 2009. To put this in perspective, 218 MW is larger than any of the company’s natural gas peaker plants at Mountain Home.

Enhanced program offerings in 2009 included the expansion and modification of the Irrigation Peak Rewards program and the addition of the FlexPeak Management demand response program. Customers also saw the launch of a new program, See Ya Later Refrigerator.

Return to April 2010 Western Energy News

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