Report

New Partnerships for Industrial Efficiency and Growth: Selected Best Practices

Aspen CSG   |   August 21, 1991

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This file is a document from the Northeast-Midwest Institute, dated August 16, 1991, detailing a policy retreat on encouraging utility involvement in economic development activities, specifically focusing on industrial modernization and energy-efficient technologies. The document also includes a policy paper titled “New Partnerships for Industrial Efficiency and Growth: Selected Best Practices,” which examines four industrial energy-efficiency programs:

  • Central Maine Power (CMP): Discusses their Power Partners and Efficiency Buy Back (EBB) programs. Power Partners involves CMP paying industries to save energy, with proposals competing against conventional power generation. EBB offers grants for energy-efficiency measures.
  • Bonneville Power Administration (BPA): Focuses on its Energy Savings Plan (ESP), which encourages conservation by providing subsidies for energy assessments and efficiency projects, particularly those that save kilowatt-hours.
  • New England Electric System (NEES): Describes its Energy Initiative Program (EIP), which encourages efficiency improvements in commercial and industrial sectors, with a significant portion of savings coming from lighting retrofits. The program offers generous subsidies.
  • Pennsylvania Power and Light (PP&L): Highlights their Environmental and Energy-Efficiency Improvements (EEEI) program, which promotes efficiency improvements and reduced environmental impact through the installation of more efficient electrical equipment. This program is part of PP&L’s broader demand-side management efforts and also aims to increase electricity sales by promoting efficient electric technologies.

The paper provides details on the advertisement, eligibility, program operations, contract issues, and subsidy determinations for each utility’s program, and includes tables comparing subsidy guidelines and energy assessment programs across different utilities. It concludes with final comments on the flexibility required for industrial efficiency demand-side management programs and the importance of strong advertising and direct contact between utilities and clients.

Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group
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