Evaluation of a Financial Incentive Program : The BPA Residential Weatherization Program.

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5277069

Hirst, Eric; Goeltz, Richard; Keating, Kenneth M

During 1982 and 1983, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) operated an interim Residential Weatherization Program (RWP) throughout the Pacific Northwest. Participating households received free home energy audits and financial assistance to help pay for installation of retrofit measures in their homes. Almost 104 thousand homes were retrofit during the two years that the progam operated; BPA's program cost totaled almost $160 million. This paper summarizes the results of a comprehensive evaluation of the BPA program. The evaluation focused on the energy-saving effects of the program and on its economic costs and benefits. Under a wide range of assumptions the program is economically attractive to the participants and to the region as a whole. However, the program may not be economically beneficial to the BPA power system (i.e. near-term electricity price increases exceed long-term price decreases). In other words, the program is likely to lower overall costs of energy services to the region, but it may yield higher electricity prices. The negative findings for the BPA power system are a direct consequence of BPA's forecast of future marginal costs and wholesale prices. The BPA forecasts show marginal costs below wholesale prices until 1994; thus any program that reduces electricity consumption during this time will increase electricity rates.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); USDOE Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5277069
• Report Number(s): CONF-8508111-2; ON: DE85016478
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
BUILDINGS
Dwellings - Energy consumption
Dwellings - Insulation
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
EVALUATION
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
WEATHERIZATION