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HomeMy WebLinkAbout13 Conservation Program Workshop AGENDA ITEM #13 Page 1 of 2 MEETING DATE: November 3, 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: Page 2 of 2 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