Southwest Energy Efficiency Project

Utah

Utility Energy Efficiency Programs
Updated: January 2008

Overview

Energy efficiency is a high priority resource for Utah. The population has grown by a rate of 2.4% per year on average from 2000-2006, but at the same time, energy consumption has decreased by a rate of -0.3% per year and the state has the lowest energy expenditures per capita ($2,343) among all the US states.

The main electric utility in Utah is PacificCorp, an investor-owned utility serving five western states and doing business in Utah known as Rocky Mountain Power. It provides more than 80% of the electricity consumed in the state. Other customers are served by either municipal utilities or rural electric cooperatives. Questar Gas Company is the largest operating natural gas utility serving 800,000 customers in Utah.

Below is a status report on energy efficiency programs in Utah:

Electricity Demand-Side Management
- Rocky Mountain Power
- PowerForward Program
Natural Gas Demand-Side Management
- Questar Gas Company

(scroll down to view the details)

Electricity Demand-Side Management

Rocky Mountain Power (RMP)

Below is a list of energy efficiency programs and incentives for their residential and business customers:

Home Energy Savings Program
This RMP program offers cash incentives and referrals to qualified contractors on energy efficiency improvements for residential customers. Rebates are available to customers for the qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances and lighting, including clothes washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, electric water heaters, air conditioning units, and ceiling fans. For more information on the program, click here.
Cool Cash Incentive Program
Certain RMP residential and businesses customers can take advantage of rebates on the purchase and installation of evaporative cooling or central air conditioning systems. The program started in 2007 for a limited time, so incentives are available on a first come, first-served basis. For more information on the program, click here.
Cool Keeper
RMP is asking for its customers with central air conditioning to volunteer for this program. Each customer will receive a free programmable thermostat installed in their home or building. It will shut off the air conditioning compressor a few minutes each half hour on summer weekdays, June - August from 2-8pm. Customers will receive a credit on their utility bill for the season. For details, click here.
ENERGY STAR New Homes Program
This educational program promotes the construction of energy-efficient homes that save money and energy. Online educational tools and information along with a directory of ENERGY STAR homebuilders is featured on the RMP website. For details, click here.
Time of Use
This program provides an option to customers to pay for electricity when it's used. During the summer (May - September), the price of energy is divided into two time periods - on peak and off peak. On peak-hours are Monday through Friday from 1 to 8 p.m. Off-peak hours are all other hours. With Time of Day, the rate is discounted from the basic service rate for off-peak hours to encourage participants to use much of their electricity then. To record the time periods you use electricity for this program, installation of a special Time of Day meter will be required. Enrollments are limited to the first 1,000 participants. For details, click here.
Utah Energy FinAnswer
RMP's FinAnswer program offers high-quality engineering services and cash incentives to help commercial, industrial and agricultural customers upgrade to the most energy-efficient heating, cooling, refrigeration, compressed air, lighting, pumping or industrial processes. Program services and incentives are tailored to the specific needs of retrofit projects and new construction/major renovation projects. For details, click here.
Utah Power FinAnswer Express
This program for retrofits and new construction/major renovation provides pre-calculated incentives for high-efficiency lighting, premium efficiency motors and HVAC equipment. For details on the program for new construction/major renovation, click here. For details on the program for retrofits, click here.
Recommissioning
This program can help commercial buildings run more efficiently primarily using low-cost or no-cost measures. It provides free expert building analysis to help lower energy costs by optimizing the building's energy use. Incentives are also available to reduce the implementation costs of identified recommissioning measures if the estimated simple payback is greater than one year. Participants can save up to 15 percent in energy costs. For details, click here.
Self-Direction Credit
This program provides large commercial and industrial customers in Utah the opportunity to self-fund energy conservation projects at their facilities. Customers who engineer, implement, and commission qualifying projects receive credits to offset the Customer Efficiency Service charge on their bills. For details, click here.

PowerForward Program

PowerForward is a public-private partnership sponsored by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and Utah's electric utilities. The mission is to promote an ethic of energy conservation and efficient use of electricity in Utah homes, businesses, and state-owned buildings.

The program utilizes an alert system. This color-coded system notifies Utah citizens and businesses through email alerts on days when additional conservation measures are needed. Two regions are covered - 1) Wasatch Front/Northern & Central Utah and 2) Dixie/Southwestern Utah.

On GREEN PowerForward Days, normal conservation measures are recommended, such as turning off lights, appliances, and electronic equipment when not in use.
On YELLOW PowerForward Days, extra conservation measures are urged. Consumers are encouraged to reduce their electricity use as much as possible during the peak hours from noon to 8 p.m.
On RED PowerForward Days, conservation is critical. Consumers should voluntarily reduce their consumption of electricity to avoid involuntary outages.

In Summer 2006 covering 107 days, Wasatch Front received 55 green alerts, 10 yellow alerts and 0 red alerts. The Dixie region received 40 green alerts, 25 yellow alerts and 0 red alerts. For details on this program, click here.

Natural Gas Demand-Side Management

Questar Gas Company

Questar developed a website (ThermWise.com) featuring its energy efficiency programs for businesses, homes, and builders. Below is a list of current programs.

ThermWise Homes - Appliance Rebates
Questar Gas is offering rebates to install high-efficient appliances in your home. Qualifying equipment include clothes washers, gas dryers, storage water heaters, gas furnaces and boilers. For details, click here.
Home Energy Audit and Weatherization
For a modest fee, Questar will conduct an energy audit of customers' homes or buildings and provide a detail report on how the home can become more energy efficient. Follow through on recommendations associated to a rebate, and the audit charge will be credited back to your gas account. In the end you get a free energy audit. For details, click here.
ThermWise Homes - Weatherization (for existing homes only)
Customers can receive rebates for energy efficiency measures, including the purchase and installation of windows, wall insulation, attic/floor insulation, duct sealing and insulation. For details, click here.
ThermWise Builders
Questar Gas is offering builders rebates for building more energy-efficient new homes. Install high-efficiency gas equipment in your new homes or build to ENERGY STAR new homes standards, and receive rebates. For details, click here.
ThermWise Business - Rebates
Questar Gas's business-rebates program provides rebates for purchasing energy-efficient appliances and "downsizing" energy usage in businesses. The list of qualifying equipment includes storage water heaters, tankless water heaters, clothes washers, gas dryers, and gas furnaces. For details, click here.
Cogeneration Studies
Questar will work with customers of business facilities to conduct cogeneration studies. Cogeneration involves using a natural gas-driven engine to generate electricity on-site. The waste hear produced by this process is captured, and can be used to provide steam or hot water for heating, absorption cooling, or various processing requirements. If most of the heat can be captured and used, the efficiency of the cogeneration facility can be quite high. For details, click here.

� 2002-2008 Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
2260 Baseline Rd. Suite 212, Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 447-0078 fax: (303) 786-8054 info@swenergy.org

Last Updated: 01/30/2008