NEEA continues to deliver lasting market change to the Northwest

PORTLAND, Ore., July 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), on behalf of more than 100 Northwest utilities and energy efficiency organizations, today released its 2012 Annual Report announcing continued market transformation and energy savings results.

"Through regional collaboration, NEEA and its utility partners are advancing markets for energy-efficient products, services and practices; helping households and businesses to save money; making our economy more competitive; and responding to the challenge of climate change," said U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, Ore.

Representing the four-state region, NEEA leverages the collective power of the Northwest's 12 million energy consumers to influence markets and secure highly valued energy efficiency for the region. On behalf of its funders, NEEA identifies and pursues energy efficiency opportunities that can only be achieved by the region working together.

"More than 15 years ago, the region's energy efficiency community created NEEA based on a shared belief that together we can accomplish far more than we can alone," said Susan E. Stratton, NEEA's executive director. "NEEA is the only regional organization in the country that has made a long-term investment in Market Transformation on this scale."

The 2012 NEEA Annual Report highlights a number of impressive regional results, including:

• NEEA partnered with California utilities to offer retailers incentives to stock the most-efficient televisions and worked with partners, such as Best Buy, Vizio and Costco, to drive consumer awareness and demand. In 2012, participating retailers sold over one million most-efficient televisions, delivering 30.6 average megawatts (aMW) of energy savings to the region.
  
  
• NEEA completed a significant 1,400-home study of single-family home energy use across the region. The Residential Building Stock Assessment (RBSA) identified opportunities for future energy savings in the residential sector, such as electric clothes dryers and residential lighting, and will guide future regional planning and program efforts.
  
  
• NEEA collaborated with Seattle City Light and the Seattle Department of Transportation on a streetlight test to demonstrate the effectiveness of solid-state street lighting. The tests found that LED streetlights use far less energy while maintaining safety and better visibility for residents.
  
  
• NEEA brought the region together to collaborate on a commercial lighting market strategy that outlines a clear path forward for achieving deeper and more comprehensive energy savings in this market.
  
  
• NEEA validated the performance of Northern Climate-approved heat pump water heaters through in-home testing, and collaborated with Sears on a successful market test that increased sales by 600 percent.

Working together, NEEA and its funders delivered 42 aMWs in 2012 - enough energy to power 30,000 Northwest homes each year. Since 1997, cumulative savings associated with NEEA's initiatives are 906 aMWs.

NEEA's 2012 Annual Report is again available as a digital edition and features interactive graphics, videos and maps. Read it online at neea.org/annualreport. 

About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is an alliance of more than 100 Northwest utilities and energy efficiency organizations working on behalf of more than 12 million energy consumers. NEEA leverages its strong regional partnerships to effect market transformation by accelerating the adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. Since 1997, NEEA and its partners – including Avista Utilities, Bonneville Power Administration, Chelan County PUD, Clark Public Utilities, Cowlitz PUD, Eugene Water & Electric Board, Energy Trust of Oregon, Idaho Power, NorthWestern Energy, Pacific Power, Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Snohomish County Public Utilities,  and Tacoma Power – have saved enough energy to power more than 600,000 homes each year. Energy efficiency can offset most of our new demand for energy, saving money and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. www.neea.org

SOURCE Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA)