Xcel Energy announced today an ambitious energy-efficiency plan that could cut power demand by 120 megawatts in two years.
The plan includes 35 programs for customers to participate in and could save as much as 244 million kilowatt hours of electricity by the end of 2010. An average residential customer uses 625 kilowatt hours a month.
The proposal also could reduce natural-gas usage by 400,000 dekatherms in the first two years. An average household uses about 67 therms of natural gas a month.
“The goal is to reduce the amount of electricity and natural gas that is consumed for lighting, heating, cooking, manufacturing and many other uses,” said Fred Stoffel, vice president of marketing for Xcel Energy, in a written statement.
The plan will cost an estimated $138 million to implement, which will be added to customer bills if approved by regulators.
An average residential electric bill would increase by $1.16 a month, Xcel said. Average small-business electric bills would increase by $2.03 a month. Typical residential natural-gas customers are expected to see an increase of 78 cents a month. Small commercial customers would see an increase of about $1.26 a month.
Xcel wants the proposed programs to start Jan. 1.
The programs include:
Refrigerator recycling — A seasonal program providing cash rebates to customers who agree to have their still-operating second refrigerator removed and recycled for free in an environmentally safe method.
Efficient showerheads — A seasonal program offering free showerheads to customers to reduce the use of natural gas and water.
Heating-system rebate — Tiered rebate levels based on efficiency ratings for qualifying furnaces and boilers.
Insulation rebate — Rebates for the purchase and installation of attic, attic bypass and/or wall insulation.
Water-heater rebate — A program offering tiered rebates based on the level of efficiency for storage and tankless water heaters.
Energy Star new homes — Rebates based on the Home Energy Rating System individual score per home, in addition to rebates for the installation of energy-efficient electric measures.
Home performance with Energy Star — Rebates for energy-efficiency measures installed after initially completing a thorough audit of the home to identify a list of low-cost to high-cost improvements.
School education kits — This program offers free lesson plans for teachers on energy efficiency and an energy-efficiency kit for each student, which includes educational materials and low-cost measures to bring home and read/install with their parents.
The proposal also includes several low-income, energy-efficiency programs:
Single-family weatherization — Rebates for specific energy-efficiency measures installed in qualifying customer homes through a partnership with the Governor’s Energy Office.
Multifamily weatherization — Rebates for installing energy-efficiency measures within buildings that have at least 66 percent occupancy by qualifying low-income customers as identified through a partnership with the GEO and Energy Outreach Colorado.
Easy Savings energy-efficiency kits — Free kits, including energy-efficiency educational materials and low-cost measures distributed through a partnership with EOC and/or GEO.
Nonprofit weatherization — Free energy assessments and energy-efficiency measures to nonprofit facilities that serve the low-income segment.
Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com
