Press Contact: Sarah Griffith, 617-589-3949 ext. 213, sgriffith@cee1.org
Technical Contact: Dr. Monica Nevius, ext. 227, mnevius@cee1.org

2007 Efficiency Program Budgets Exceed $3.7 Billion

CEE Reports on Budget Data for Third Year

This year’s report on the size of efficiency program industry in 2007 shows the magnitude of programs in both the U.S. and Canada. Taken together, these programs, all ratepayer-funded, are now an industry, shaping both supply and demand for efficient products in both markets.

U.S. programs reached $3.1 billion, an 18 percent increase over 2006. While Canada has long sponsored efficiency programs, this is the first year the data have been aggregated in one place. Canada adds another $.6 billion, bringing the total to $3.7 billion. Budgets include commercial and industrial, residential, low income, and load management programs, along with the other expenditures necessary in different regions with varying conditions.

The impact of these programs is also available for 2006. The efficiency program industry saved Canadian and U.S. ratepayers an astounding $5.4 billion in 2006. That figure is based on energy savings of 59,800 GWh of electricity and 162.6 million therms of gas. Thus, efficiency programs abated 36 million metric tonnes of CO2, an increase of 7 million tonnes over 2005 savings.

The CEE report is available in two formats. You can request a printed overview report from CEE, or you can visit the Web site at http://www.cee1.org/ee-pe/2007/index.php3 for details by state, region, and province and by sector.

CEE

CEE is a consortium of efficiency program administrators from across the U.S. and Canada who work together on common approaches to advancing efficiency. Through joining forces, the individual efficiency programs of CEE are able to partner not only with each other, but with other industries, trade associations, and government agencies. By working together at CEE, administrators leverage the effect of their funding dollars, exchange information on effective practices and, by doing so, achieve greater energy efficiency for the public good.

The CEE 2007 budget and impacts data collection report is now posted online at http://www.cee1.org/ee-pe/2007/. Both an overview report and detailed tables and charts, with data sources cited, can be accessed from this page.

The report shows that energy efficiency is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Budgets for ratepayer funded efficiency programs in the U.S are up 18 percent since 2006. For the first time, the report also documents budgets and impacts for efficiency programs in Canada—information that has not been available anywhere before. Findings include:

• US energy efficiency budgets in 2007 totaled $3.1 billion. Canadian budgets totaled nearly $0.6 billion, for a grand total of $3.7 billion in the two countries.
• US electric efficiency program budgets are up 14 percent from 2006, while US gas program budgets are up 68 percent.
• In 2006, CEE member’s energy efficiency programs across the U.S. and Canada saved 59,800 GWh of electricity, 162.6 million therms of gas, and abated more than 36 million metric tonnes of CO2, up from 29 million metric tonnes in 2005. This is the equivalent of taking 7.9 million passenger cars off the road for one year or growing more than 30 million acres of pine or fir forests over one year. It’s enough energy to power over 4.5 million homes with electricity or over a 100,000 homes with gas for one year.

In addition to piquing the interest of manufacturers in producing high efficiency products, these data help demonstrate to policymakers and others the substantial commitment that states and provinces are making to energy efficiency, in addition to the magnitude of the savings that are being achieved.

CEE wishes to thank all our members for providing data, and especially member staff who worked with us to ensure that we characterized your information correctly. We could not have done this without your active participation. For a complete list of acknowledgements, see the link above.

Warmest regards,
Monica Nevius & Johanna Krouk