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  • Research Report
  • Utilities and the Power Sector
  • Feb 1, 1987

    Acid Rain and Electricity Conservation

    This study documents ways in which electricity conservation can save consumers and utilities billions of dollars. It demonstrates that cost-effective, more efficient end-use technologies can reduce…

    This study documents ways in which electricity conservation can save consumers and utilities billions of dollars. It demonstrates that cost-effective, more efficient end-use technologies can reduce electricity consumption in the ECAR region— a major acid rain-emitting area of the Midwest — by 26% without lowering the level of energy services. Large economic savings accrue as conservation defers the need to construct new conventional power plants. Conservation can also reduce utility acid rain emissions and the costs of acid rain control by reducing the use of existing power plants and by deferring the purchase of emissions controls or cleaner, more costly fuels.

    Related Resources

    Bridging the Equity Gap for Utility Energy Efficiency Programs
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  • Research Report
  • Affordability and Energy Equity
  • Energy Efficiency Policy
  • Homes and Buildings
  • Utilities and the Power Sector
  • Bridging the Equity Gap for Utility Energy Efficiency Programs

    Note: This report was updated on July 31, 2026, to reflect data from Commonwealth Edison received after publication that showed additional spending on low-income efficiency programs. Resultant updates to the analysis yielded an increase in the overall average spending (of all utilities in the sample) on low-income programs in 2024. This increased the average share of budgets dedicated to programming for low-income populations to 14.1% and reduced the average “equity gap” to 13.8%; each change was less than 1 percentage point. ComEd-specific results were updated throughout. Additionally, the per-household savings data for Baltimore Gas and Electric was corrected, and that resulted in BGE no longer being listed in the top quartile of utilities in that category.

    Jul 31, 2026

    Strategies for Enhancing Resilience and Minimizing Vulnerabilities to Extreme Heat Events
  • Brief
  • Behavior and Health
  • Energy Efficiency Policy
  • Homes and Buildings
  • Utilities and the Power Sector
  • Strategies for Enhancing Resilience and Minimizing Vulnerabilities to Extreme Heat Events

    Extreme heat is one of the fastest-growing climate-related hazards in the United States, increasing mortality, straining buildings and energy systems, and amplifying risks for households with limit…

    Apr 16, 2026

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