Energy-Efficiency Funds and Demand Response Programs, Idaho
Updated July 2007
What public-purpose-funded energy efficiency programs are available in my state?
Idaho's Conservation Program Funding Charge of 1.5% of customer electricity bills is collected and administered by Idaho's electric utilities (see below), following a 2002 ruling by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission.
What utility energy efficiency programs are available to me?
Avista Utilities offers Energy Efficiency Incentives for electric efficiency, natural gas efficiency, and fuel-switching projects. For electric efficiency projects, incentives range from $0.04 to $0.08 per kWh saved during the first year of the project, with greater incentives provided to projects with longer payback periods. For gas, incentives range from $2.00 – 3.00 per therm. Incentives are capped at 50% of the project cost for electricity and 30% for natural gas.
Idaho Power sponsors two programs that may be of interest to federal facilities:
- The Industrial Efficiency Incentive Program provides large commercial and industrial customers (> 500 kW) with financial incentives—up to $100,000—for modifying and improving the energy efficiency of an electrical process.
- The Building Efficiency for Commercial Construction program provides up to $20,000 for energy-efficient cooling, envelope (windows and roofs), and lighting measures in new construction buildings. An extra 10% to 20% is provided for systems or whole buildings, respectively, that receive commissioning from an Idaho Power-approved commissioning agent.
PacifiCorp/Rocky Mountain Power's FinAnswer Express program provides rebates for energy-efficient lighting, HVAC, and motor retrofits. The incentives depend on the equipment installed and are capped at 50 percent of measure costs.
Idaho Falls Power's Commercial Energy Conservation Program offers 0% interest 10-year payback loans to qualifying commercial customers for installing efficient lighting and other energy conservation measures (e.g., electric heating, ventilation or air conditioning system improvements, energy-efficient motors and drives, appliances, heat pumps, and building envelope improvements). The program will loan up to 100% of the actual cost of installing energy conservation measures for qualifying customers, not to exceed $25,000.
Smaller cooperatives in Idaho such as Kootenai Electric Cooperative (a Touchstone Cooperative), Northern Lights, Inc., Fall River Electric Cooperative, and others offer several rebates to their customers for installing energy-efficient equipment.
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) offers energy efficiency retrofits to federal agencies under its Federal Conservation Acquisition Program. In 2006, program funding was renewed through September 2009. Under this program, BPA identifies and implements energy-saving measures at federal facilities. Federal facilities located in "load following areas"—areas that are served 100% with BPA power—receive all design, engineering support services and contracting free of charge, as well as financial incentives. In addition a financing service is available to help federal agencies meet cost sharing requirements. Projects at sites served by utilities procuring only a portion of their power from BPA may still take advantage of BPA's services but must reimburse BPA for its costs. Interested federal agencies can contact Frank Brown (206-220-6774) for more information.
What load management/demand response options are available to me?
PacifiCorp/Rocky Mountain Power sponsors the Energy Exchange program, an internet-based, voluntary demand reduction program. PacifiCorp posts a price for each hour in which load reductions are needed, and customers may respond by pledging to curtail a specified amount of load. Participants are paid the posted price per unit of measured energy reduction in each hour of the curtailment. Eligibility is limited to customers with at least 1 MW of connected load.
BPA offers the Demand Exchange Program, an internet-based, load reduction bidding program. Participants are alerted to hourly, one-day, and two-day price signals associated with peak load events and are able to post their willingness to participate at a price. Eligibility is limited to participants able to curtail and/or generate at least 1 MW, BPA assists customers with smaller loads to aggregate with other, similarly situated customers to meet this criterion.
What distributed energy resource options are available to me?
The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) provides information on programs that offer incentives for renewable distributed generation. The following program may of interest to federal customers:
- Using revenues generated from the sales of Green Tags, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, accepts proposals for funding for renewable energy projects located in the Pacific Northwest. Any facility located in the Pacific Northwest (including Idaho) may participate.
- The Low Interest Energy Loan Program lends up to $100,000 at a 4% interest rate towards renewable installations at commercial facilities, provided the project's fuel savings generate a 15-year simple payback.
Are there energy efficiency programs sponsored by the state government?
Idaho's Low Interest Energy Loan Program, discussed above, provides a 4% interest rate on loans of up to $100,000 to install energy conservation retrofits with payback periods of less than 15 years. New construction projects can also participate, but the only eligible measures for new construction are energy-efficient luminaires, occupancy sensors, and building commissioning.
What additional opportunities are available to me?
Pacific Northwest investor- and publicly-owned utilities, as well as public representatives, have banded together to offer energy efficiency market transformation initiatives under the auspices of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), a non-profit organization. Federal customers should be aware of NEEA initiatives that could impact their facilities, such as commissioning of public buildings, building operator certification, efficient building practices, Lighting Design Lab, Northwest Energy Education Institute, Compressed Air Challenge, and Motor Drive Power.
Federal customers whose utilities have area-wide contracts with GSA and, by extension, all other federal agencies (e.g., Idaho Power Co., and Intermountain Gas Co.), may take advantage of additional energy efficiency opportunities. Federal facilities should contact their account executive to determine the level of participation by their local utility.