Tellus Report - Blueprint for an Energy Efficient Electricity Future

This 2001 Tellus Institute report covers achievable new demand-side management opportunities out to the year 2025. Click here to download the 162kb pdf Tellus Report.

From the Report . . .

There is substantial potential for achieving cost-effective electric energy and demand savings through a second generation of demand side management in Utah.

The potential for cost-effective DSM in Utah is greater than is reflected in the portfolio of DSM options quantified in the present study. The focus here is on savings that are potentially achievable through the application of new DSM program funding to vigorously promote those demand-side measures that can produce significant amounts of savings.

Long-Term Rate Reductions

Taken as a group, the energy efficiency, load management, and CHP (combined heat and power) options would reduce rates. This occurs because the electricity supply cost savings they yield are exceed the sum of DSM funding and utility lost revenues. The cumulative net reduction to rates, after DSM funding, would be about $109 million.

The Co-Benefits of DSM

The main goal of DSM is to create economic benefits in the form of reductions in the direct economic costs of providing energy services. Additional benefits that result may be called co-benefits. Significant co-benefits from implementation of the measures included in the DSM portfolio would include:

Reduction in emission of air pollutants

Reduction in emission of greenhouse gasses

Reduction in land use impacts of electricity supply

Reduction in water use impacts of electricity supply

Stimulation of the local economy

Assessed Technologies

Assessment of a range of demand-side technologies and practices led to inclusion of the following major groups of measures in the DSM portfolio that is evaluated in this report:

Residential Measures

Load control of air conditioners

Efficient cooling equipment

Residential lighting

Appliance recycling

Commercial/Institutional Measures

Load control of air conditioners

Load management

Efficient cooling equipment and systems

Commercial lighting

Efficient refrigeration

Combined heat & power

Industrial Measures

Load management

Efficient motors

Motor drive improvements (fans, pumps, compressed air)

Combined heat & power

In addition to the basic economic comparison —total resource benefits versus total resource costs— the DSM measures and programs are evaluated from other cost-effectiveness perspectives. The cumulative impact upon average electricity rates is estimated for each measure and for groups of measures. The estimated net reductions in air emissions from the measures included in the portfolio are quantified, and other environmental impacts of DSM are discussed.

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