“By opening the market to these customers, shared solar could represent 32% to 49% of the distributed PV market in 2020, thereby leading to cumulative PV deployment growth in 2015 to 2020 of 5.5 GW to 11.0 GW, and representing $8.2–$16.3 billion of cumulative investment,” the report said.Ĭommunity shared renewables are a popular offering among utilities across the country, as they allow utilities to offer renewable energy to consumers without the regulatory tussles involving utility-owned distributed generation or net metering policies. “As soon as people heard about the program they began contacting us to ask when they could sign up.”Ī 2015 report form the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s estimated 49% of households and 48% of businesses are currently unable to host a PV system. 18-035-27 and to tell Rocky Mountain Power directly that they support more electricity savings, not less.ĭocket No.“There is a growing segment of our customer base that wants solar and this allows us to offer it to them,” RMP Spokesperson Dave Eskelsen told Utility Dive. Utah Clean Energy and the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project encourage interested residents and businesses to submit comments supporting higher levels of electricity savings to the Utah Public Service Commission through Docket No. In its most recent 20-year plan the utility projects that in the year 2034 it will save less electricity than it saved in 2008. What’s more troubling is that this appears to be a trend that Rocky Mountain Power is forecasting, despite Utah’s projected population doubling over the next couple of decades. Utah families and businesses deserve more electricity savings, not a roll-back” said Emerson. “We all have to share resources and with Utah’s growing population we should be increasing our energy efficiency efforts. “The company should strive to maximize the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency measures by its customers, rather than cut its energy savings targets.” Rocky Mountain Power is moving in the wrong direction,” said Howard Geller, Executive Director of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. “The main electric utilities in Colorado and Nevada are expanding their energy efficiency programs in 2019, not scaling them back. While Rocky Mountain Power proposed reductions to efficiency targets, other regional electric utilities continue to increase targeted levels of electricity savings.
Since 2001, Rocky Mountain Power’s successful energy efficiency programs have helped Utahns save over 3.4 billion kWh of electricity per year, which is enough electricity to power nearly 373,000 average Utah homes. Energy efficiency has been an important energy resource in Utah for almost two decades. Today’s proposal will translate to cuts to energy-saving incentive programs for residents and businesses that rely on robust efficiency incentives to help implement energy efficiency improvements. Scaling back of Rocky Mountain Power’s energy efficiency programs is not in the public interest, and should not be approved by the Utah Public Service Commission,” said Kevin Emerson, Energy Efficiency Program Director for Utah Clean Energy. “Scaling back cost effective energy efficiency programs will result in more energy waste, higher utility bills for households and businesses in Utah, and increased operation of polluting power plants.
The amount of electricity saved in 2017 alone resulted in $140 million net savings for the utility and its customers. These energy efficiency programs are cost effective, cutting $2.23 in utility costs for every $1 invested in energy efficiency incentive programs. By comparison, in 2017 Rocky Mountain Power helped its customers save 373 million kWh of electricity annually through utility programs that stimulated the adoption of more efficient lights, appliances, air conditioning systems, industrial equipment, and the like. Specifically, the utility is planning for just 299 million kWh of annual energy savings through its 2019 Wattsmart efficiency programs. 18-035-27) on November 1 shows that instead of increasing energy efficiency targets, Rocky Mountain Power is proposing to reduce the level of energy saved in Utah in 2019 by 20 percent compared to savings achieved in 2017. However, efforts to save energy are slowing in Utah.Ī report filed with the Utah Public Service Commission ( Docket No. SALT LAKE CITY – Energy efficiency is a vital energy “resource” just like solar energy and natural gas power plants, and according to a recent international report, increasing global energy efficiency is a central strategy to combat climate change.
Rocky Mountain Power Takes Step to Lower Energy-Savings Targets
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