Last month billionaire investor Warren Buffet declared what many of us had avoided saying out loud: “the U.S. economy has fallen off a cliff.”  As you know, the Northwest is feeling the economic sting as fiercely as the rest of the country with our unemployment rates rising and continued declines in the housing market. Business and industry are challenged to maintain revenues, access credit and stay profitable. We are all challenged to pay our household bills and regain our savings.  At such a time, it can be difficult to be optimistic and forward-looking, yet one of the true glimmers of hope is the heightened dialogue around energy efficiency.

What many realize and many more will come to understand as the federal stimulus dollars are allocated and utilities increase their investment in energy efficiency, is that energy efficiency can improve cash flow, reduce expenses for households and businesses, and cut production costs for industry. The Northwest has an unprecedented opportunity to leverage federal support in order to achieve its own aggressive energy efficiency goals and stimulate the Northwest’s economy by creating "green" jobs.

This mix of turmoil and hope has been an interesting backdrop for NEEA’s 2010-2014 Business Planning process – a process we have been engaged in over the last several months. The Plan’s intent is to outline the most efficient ways for NEEA to use its unique role as a regional entity to maximize energy efficiency for the region. And yet, we all know NEEA is not in this alone. Its market transformation work can only be successful when coordinated with all other energy efficiency efforts planned in the region. Together, we can meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities of the next five years while building the foundation to achieve gains well into the future.

Thanks to valuable input from NEEA’s regional stakeholders and the work of NEEA’s staff, the plan is nearing its final draft. The latest version was presented to the Board of Directors on February 27. Since then, NEEA staff has been engaged in conversations with funders to discuss the changes and make final refinements. The next version will be presented to the Board for an approval vote in late April/early May. Once the NEEA Board adopts the Business Plan and funding is secured, operational planning will begin to lay out tactically how the goals and objectives will be met.

The cost of securing energy efficiency through this Business Plan is projected to be less than half the cost of developing new sources such as coal, natural gas or wind.  NEEA estimates regional savings of 200 aMW over the five-year period and 550 aMW in a ten-year period, which is the equivalent to powering half the city of Seattle for an entire year. Yet, the plan will deliver value far beyond these megawatts. Additional benefits include accelerated adoption of energy efficiency technologies, buildings, and business practices. Specifically, the plan’s additional value includes:

1. Filling the pipeline of emerging technologies to build long-term savings potential
2. “Locking in” savings through codes and standards
3. Expansion of regional market capability to deploy energy-efficient technologies and programs via education, training, and technical support.
4. Sharing information and best practices to increase utility effectiveness and avoid duplication

With today’s economic climate, it is refreshing to cast our eyes forward and look at all we can achieve together through transformative energy efficiency initiatives and hard work. The last three decades have proven that energy efficiency is the least costly and most quickly available supply resource for securing a sustainable future for the Northwest, and with economic and environmental constraints it will become even more important to our region’s livelihood. We’ll keep you all updated on our progress.