Dive Brief:
- Rocky Mountain Power is seeking permission to spend about $1.6 million in Utah this year on an outreach program to boost participation in energy efficiency and demand response projects, according to filings with the Utah Public Service Commission.
- As part of the utility's outreach efforts, Rocky Mountain Power has partnerships with the Utah Jazz basketball team, the Real Salt Lake soccer team and University of Utah sports teams.
- Through advertising and other efforts, Rocky Mountain Power intends to motivate customers to spur its customers to save energy, including taking specific steps to cut energy use in the summer.
Dive Insight:
Increasing public awareness about energy efficiency opportunities is a key part of an overall strategy for expanding program participation. It is especially important for Rocky Mountain Power, which found that fewer customers have been taking steps to conserve electricity, according to a 2012 report from the utility.
The ongoing effort to increase customer awareness comes as Rocky Mountain Power's spending on efficiency programs has grown to about $51 million in 2013 from about $16 million in 2004, according to a presentation by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, an advocacy group. Through the spending, Rocky Mountain Power is lowering retail sales by about 1% a year. The utility is making these savings without special regulatory support or state energy efficiency standards.
