HomeMy WebLinkAbout9 Conservation and Sustainabilty Programs
AGENDA ITEM #9
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MEETING DATE: October 20, 2021
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Steven Keates, Conservation & Customer Service Senior
Analyst
SUBJECT: Workshop on Conservation and Sustainability Programs
APPROVED BY _____________________________
Brian C. Wright, General Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Board provide feedback and direction to staff on the District’s
current and future conservation and sustainability programs.
DISCUSSION:
The District started offering electric and water conservation programs in 2008. These
programs enabled customers to purchase energy efficient appliances, improve energy
performance of their homes, and drive high saturation of energy efficient technologies
within the District’s service territory. A great example of this can be found in residential
lighting. When the programs started in 2008 most homes used incandescent lighting.
However; currently LED lighting has replaced all other technologies as the predominate
type. The District is no longer able to achieve any impacts through handing out LED light
bulbs - as any hand-outs will replace existing LED lighting! These historical successes
interweave with contemporary factors and press the District to refocus the objectives for
its conservation programs.
This workshop will cover a variety of topics exploring key factors which define the
objective for the District’s conservation programs. Topics will begin with a summary of the
conservation program impacts to-date and then discuss how state regulations and the
District’s key values combine to define specific goals for future programs. A brief outline
of topics to be covered include:
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1) Historical program impacts;
2) Regulatory context for demand-side management programs;
3) Local context for conservation programming;
4) Summary of specific programs which are launching this fall;
5) Current studies on electrification impacts and potential for District customers; and
6) Future programming needs to integrate “smart” technologies and respond to
evolving customer (and utility) needs.
This workshop is intended to be an overview of the District’s current efforts towards
sustainability. It will become clear that conservation is no longer the District’s singular
aim. Instead, it must focus on helping customers manage resource consumption on their
side of the meter. Staff is working to integrate the supply side and demand side of the
meter in order to lead our community in a sustainable mountain lifestyle.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
1. Strategic Plan Goal #2 Environmental Stewardship: This workshop item
reviews the progress and successes of the District’s current conservation
programs and explores new opportunities in the sustainability of local resources
2. Strategic Plan Goal #3 Engage with our customers and communities in a
welcoming and transparent way to identify opportunities: Customer and
community engagement are critical to the success of an effective conservation
and resource sustainability program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with this item. Programs and initiatives
discussed in this workshop and direction received from the Board will inform staff as to
the level of funding included for conservation and sustainability programs in the Draft
FY2022-23 Budget.
ATTACHMENTS:
None