Market Transformation Evaluations: A Tale of Four Regions

Steven Nadel

December 1999

Abstract

Public benefit programs focused on market transformation are now being implemented in several states and regions. In particular, four regions of the country—the Pacific Northwest, California, New England, and New York—are implementing multiple programs and have begun evaluation activities. Broadly speaking, these evaluations are being conducted to evaluate progress towards program and public policy objectives, to identify program modifications that are needed, and to provide input into decisions on whether public benefit programs should be extended beyond currently scheduled sunset dates.

While evaluation efforts in these four regions share certain broad objectives, there is also substantial variation in processes, approaches, budgets, and progress to date. For example, in the Northwest, New York, and (to a lesser extent) California, evaluations are being coordinated by a single regional or state entity, while in New England evaluations are being prepared by individual utilities or consortiums of utilities. New York has a very small evaluation budget, California a very large one, and the Northwest and New England have medium-sized budgets. The Northwest has been publishing market transformation evaluation reports for more than a year, California and New England are still largely working on baseline and initial market progress assessments, and New York finished its broad evaluation plan in May 1999 and has yet to begin significant data collection.

This report summarizes the market transformation evaluation efforts of these four regions, contrasts how market transformation evaluation is faring across these regions, and distills early lessons that can benefit evaluators in these and other regions.

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20 pp. 1999, $12.00, U997