PR 59 05
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY, June 29, 2005
BPA to invest $80 million
a year in regional conservation programs
PORTLAND, Ore. -
The Bonneville Power Administration today announced its conservation plan and budget for 2005-2009. The program will provide $80 million a year for energy efficiency, most of which will fund the efforts of local utilities.
"We've designed a program to get maximum energy savings for the dollar of investment," said Mike Weedall, vice president for conservation. "We'll be acquiring 52 average megawatts a year of energy conservation * enough power to serve about 40,000 homes."
Weedall said the program will meet the target set by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. The council, representing the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, lays out a plan for meeting the region's electric energy needs. BPA had originally proposed to invest $75 million a year on the program but restored the budget to $80 million after holding public meetings.
"In designing the program, BPA relied on 25 years of successful experience in the conservation arena, said Weedall. Key features include a rate credit on the wholesale power bill of a utility for its investment in energy efficiency and renewables."
"BPA is a wholesaler of large blocks of power," Weedall said. "The individual utility knows best how to manage the energy needs of its customers so they will do the work and we'll help fund it."
Other features include bilateral contracts with utility and federal agency customers for special projects and investment in innovative, region-wide projects that move the market toward more efficient ways of using electricity, such as more efficient appliances. The program announced today will also give small utilities more flexibility in designing and operating their programs.
Submitted for distribution on 06-29-2005 at 11:17 AM
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