WUTC Forms Conservation Working Group for I-937 IOU Implementation

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) has formed a new Conservation Working Group as a collaborative process examining rules and procedures for investor owned utilities’ implementation of the energy efficiency components of I-937. A stakeholder group has been formed (including NEEC) which will meet over the next 5 months to examine a range of issues that affect the state statute which requires these utilities to acquire all the cost effective and achievable conservation in their service territories. The first two year biennium period under the law is currently underway in 2010-2011. WUTC staff initiated this process as means to examine whether more clarity and certainty could be achieved through a collaborative dialogue. NEEC was an early advocate of the conservation provisions in I-937. NEEC supports this WUTC initiative, but has expressed caution about a Working Group goal of process and/or program “consistency” across all three IOU’s . NEEC wants to avoid an outcome where consensus decision making drives program rules to their lowest common denominator, potentially inhibiting program innovation and individual utility self interest in aggressive conservation activities. NEEC will make blog posts on the WUTC meetings as they happen.