Regulatory and policy implications of Federal legislation on utility DSM programs
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Harrisburg, PA (United States)
This paper reviews some potential consequences of recent Federal legislation to demand-side management (DSM) at utilities. The legislation discussed are the 1992 Energy Policy Act (EPAct), the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act, and FERC Order No. 636. Examples of specific activities regarding DSM in Pennsylvania are included for illustration. Each of the Federal laws under discussion is unique in terms of origin, goals, and focus. Nevertheless, they all focus on the regulated energy industries such that their effects tend to combine to force massive changes. In die regulated electric and natural gas industries, this synergy is compounding the complexity of management and, at least in the short term, contributing to increases in the cost of doing business. In the long term, these Federal initiatives are likely to lead to a massive reassessment of state-regulated energy sources in production and end use, and their environmental consequences. The overall effect of all three pieces of legislation is to increase competition among the state-regulated utilities. The differences between competitive and regulated industries are noted in a effort to explain the effect of inducing competition among energy utilities. This has particular relevance to utility-sponsored energy-efficiency programs such as DSM and other customer assistance activities. This paper has three objectives. First, it outlines the contents of the Federal legislation regarding utility DSM programs. Second, it explains some of the impacts of these laws and regulations on utility programs, particularly the likely effects of the emerging competitive utility market. Third, it seeks to understand where and how action will be needed to carry out many of the provisions of these laws in the most cost-effective manner.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 10109795
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-24064; CONF-9403196-1; ON: DE95004897
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Affordable comfort conference,Philadelphia, PA (United States),20-25 Mar 1994; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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