Energy Conservation
Iowa Co-ops Set Efficiency Goals
Electric co-ops in Iowa have agreed to invest $72 million over five years on cost-effective energy-efficiency programs for their consumer-members.
Installing energy efficient windows is just one of the many improvements consumers can make to their homes to conserve energy. (Photo By: Associated Press)
“We’ve looked at how consumer-members use electricity and designed programs to help them save money while saving energy,” said Regi Goodale, the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives’ director of regulatory affairs.
“Besides CFL lighting promotions, heating and cooling, water heating and household appliance programs, we also looked at commercial, industrial, agricultural and low-income programs,” said Goodale.
The co-op plan, submitted to the state for review this year, runs nearly 700 pages. It includes a host of initiatives designed to meet or exceed requirements enacted by Iowa legislators in 2008. The state will submit its report to the Iowa legislature by year’s end.
“There really has never been a better opportunity for member-consumers in Iowa to participate in energy efficiency,” said Goodale, noting that co-ops and their consumer-members will be able to leverage tax credits, rebates and co-op sponsored promotions under the Touchstone Energy ® Cooperatives brand to stretch their own investments in energy-efficient products.
Co-ops set their energy efficiency goals individually, but the assessment of potential was performed at the G&T level. The statewide association submitted the plan as a coordinated filing, clearing the way for co-ops to work closely with their power suppliers to establish future programs.
“We’ve looked at potential kilowatt hours saved, the number of possible participants and dollars saved on each program, and included those projections in our filing,’’ said Allan Urlis, director of communications for the Iowa statewide association.
The covered programs begin this year and run through 2014. Six G&Ts have agreed to work with the distribution co-ops on projects expected to save more than 4.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity over the life of the measures installed during the five-year period, said Urlis. “The programs have to be cost-effective to save consumer-members money in the long-term.”
Tags: Energy Conservation, Energy Efficiency, Weatherization