Utility Resource Planning and Policies

Efficient utility resource planning and procurement.

Since the early 2000’s, efficiency program administrators and other implementers have successfully helped households and businesses reduce enough wasted energy to keep energy demand relatively flat across the country. These energy efficiency and demand flexibility programs are the fastest and cheapest way to help keep the lights on, avoiding the need for new pipelines, power plants, transmission lines, and distribution system upgrades.

The origin of utility-sector energy efficiency programs dates back to the energy crises in the 1970s, when efforts to reduce energy waste emerged to help customers cope with soaring energy prices. This led to the development of an expanded set of customer energy efficiency programs offered by electric and natural gas utilities. Today, as energy affordability and load growth pressures collide, utility programs must evolve to meet the moment. Increasingly, utility efficiency programs focus on reducing customer load during peak demand, installing highly efficient heating and cooling systems, weatherizing homes to achieve deeper energy savings, and equipping customers to respond dynamically and automatically to shifting grid conditions.

ACEEE conducts policy analysis and engagement to ensure that the lowest-cost energy efficiency and demand flexibility resources are central to utility planning and procurement processes. ACEEE tracks progress through our State Energy Efficiency Scorecard and Utility Energy Efficiency Scorecard to evaluate efforts to improve efficiency policy and programs across the United States.