Symposium - In Pursuit of Maine's Least-Cost Energy
Efficiency Maine Trust hosted a symposium on September 7, 2011 that provided a high-level introduction to the statewide economic impacts of energy efficiency. Speakers included: Penelope Connor, NStar; Tim Woolf, Synapse Energy Economics; John Davulis, GDS Associates and Max Chang, Synapse Energy Economics.
Below please find the event presentations:
Estimating the Potential for Maine's Energy Efficiency Resources, John Davulis
Massachusetts Utility Perspective on Funding Energy Efficiency, Penelope Connor
Highlights of Avoided Energy Supply Cost 2011 Report, Max Chang
A Massachusetts Regulator's Perspective on Energy Efficiency, Tim Woolf
Issues addressed included:
- When efficiency programs in Maine help customers save a kilowatt-hour, what is that savings worth? How is the savings calculated? What is the benefit to all ratepayers when efficiency projects lower demand on the grid?
- When Massachusetts utilities recently filed plans to capture all electric efficiency that was cheaper than supply, how much energy savings did they project would meet that standard? Did the utilities increase or decrease their efficiency budgets from prior years in order to meet the standard, and what were the short term and long term economic impacts on rates and bills? What was the perspective of utility regulators, the business community, and other stakeholders?
- What does it mean when we say energy efficiency is “cost effective”? How does a utility or statewide efficiency program estimate the amount of energy savings that is cost-effective, and what estimates have been made in Maine?
