For nearly 30 years, the Northwest has been a leader in treating energy efficiency and conservation as a power resource. The region learned fast that a megawatt saved is the equivalent of a megawatt produced. As of 2007, energy efficiency accounted for only one percent of all electricity production in the United States. But in the Northwest, it accounted for 10 percent thanks to collaboration among the Bonneville Power Administration, Northwest Power and Conservation Council, regional utilities, state agencies and environmental interests.
In fact, energy efficiency has been BPA's biggest resource addition for more than 25 years. The agency has acquired more than 1,100 average megawatts (aMW) of savings - more energy than either The Dalles dam or Bonneville dam could produce in an entire year. In fiscal year 2008 alone, BPA secured 76 aMW of energy efficiency for the Northwest - the equivalent energy to power 65,000 homes for an entire year.
|
|
EE Home
