Energy Conservation Announcements

BPA publishes weekly announcements to provide the latest information and resources to customer utilities. 

March 5, 2026

  

New

Energy Efficiency is now Energy Conservation



BPA is renaming its "Energy Efficiency" department to "Energy Conservation" to more directly align with the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (NW Power Act).

Under the NW Power Act, “Conservation” is defined as “any reduction in electric power consumption as a result of increases in the efficiency of energy use, production or distribution.”
Conservation is included as a resource alongside electric power from generating facilities, and given priority in the Council’s plan. BPA is to acquire Conservation as a resource. This name change aims to more accurately describe the important work and efforts BPA advances across the region, as it supports federal energy policy to foster more abundant, affordable and reliable power.

Additionally, the Energy Efficiency Representatives (EERs) are also changing their title to Energy Conservation Account Executives (ECAEs). While their job duties haven’t changed, the new title emphasizes the shift towards a more comprehensive understanding and management of customer needs across various services. The title better represents their role as a solutions provider for customers, serving as a conduit for marketing support, policy engagement, engineering demand response, and smart technologies, not just energy efficiency.

ECAEs are available to answer any questions.

Comfort Ready Home Webinar: Maximizing Your Residential Energy Efficiency Impact 

Join BPA’s Comfort Ready Home (CRH) program on March 19 from 10-11:00 a.m. (PST) for an informative webinar on promoting residential energy efficiency efforts. This webinar will provide an overview of the CRH program and explore how its tools, resources, and support can help utilities meet their goals. Cyrus Collins, CRH program manager, and Brian Lum, marketing account director, will share practical strategies to increase participation, strengthen community engagement, and maximize program impact. Don’t miss this opportunity to refine a results-driven approach and connect with peers working to advance residential energy efficiency…More

April 1, 2026 Implementation Manual Changes to Address Audit Findings -- Recording and Presentation Available

The recording and presentation from the Feb. 2026 webinar, “Implementation Manual changes to address audit findings” are now available. The session reviewed implementation details for the requirements changes effective April 1, 2026, including:

  • Cost documentation submission requirements 
  • Audit-related IM changes 
  • Cost documentation bulk upload methods and other BEETS changes 
  • How utilities can prepare - lessons learned from early testing 
  • Site inspections summary and FAQ 
  • Next steps
Energy conservation account executives (ECAEs - formerly EERs) are available to assist with follow-up questions.

Save Your Spot at Efficiency Exchange!

Registration is open for Efficiency Exchange 2026 in Boise, Idaho (early bird pricing expires April 3). 

This year's event takes place May 5–6, with optional pre-conference tours and activities starting Monday, May 4. Connect and network with peers from across the Northwest, hear from experts on the latest trends and technologies, share best practices, and collaborate on regional energy efficiency initiatives. Don’t miss featured keynote: Lisa Grow, President and CEO of Idaho Power.

For registration, agenda, and conference logistics, visit the Efficiency Exchange webpage.

Events

BPA Webinar: VSHP Evaluation Deep Dive Data Request

Join BPA on March 5 from 10-11 a.m. (PST) to learn more about an ambitious new evaluation study. BPA’s Evaluation team is conducting in-depth research into residential centrally ducted variable speed heat pumps (VSHP) and air source heat pumps (ASHP) by analyzing Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) data, to better understand savings and real-world usage.

BPA and Evergreen Economics will discuss the study and describe how utilities can participate in this research effort (and even benefit from it)! This webinar will go over the upcoming data request for customers’ AMI data and contact information for an end-user survey.

As a “thank you” for utility participation, Evergreen is offering optional custom AMI and spatial analysis on a sample of customers. This optional custom analysis can help better understand how many end users have electric heat and cooling and where those users are...More