As part of our mission to deliver low-cost energy for customers, we have been working with the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) since 2002 to increase the availability and adoption of energy-efficient electric products, equipment and practices. In 2015, we added natural gas equipment to the list.

Transforming Markets

By pooling resources at a regional level to work with manufacturers, distributors and retailers, NEEA accelerates the development, testing and distribution of new energy-saving equipment and approaches. NEEA identifies and refines new high-efficiency products, services and practices and helps bring them to market.

Once products are ready and available, Energy Trust creates and implements programs to support broad market adoption in Oregon.

Utility customers benefit by seeing a greater choice of higher-efficiency products available at stores, and through improvements to building codes and equipment standards that will save energy.

Coordination for Low-Cost Savings

Because NEEA represents many utilities over a four-state area, it can represent the region to transform products and services more efficiently and effectively than Energy Trust can alone.

We contract with NEEA for a significant portion of our electric market transformation activities and savings, and an emerging portfolio of natural gas activities and savings. We also deliver market transformation savings through Energy Trust-led pilots and other efforts that are important to our customers but may not be a top regional priority or can be best addressed locally.

All of NEEA’s activities are closely coordinated between Energy Trust and NEEA through our representation on the NEEA board of directors and on technical advisory and coordinating committees—ensuring NEEA’s work benefits the customers we serve.

These efforts have paid off. NEEA energy savings have been among the cheapest savings in our energy-saving portfolio.

The Energy Trust board of directors approves the annual budget and savings goals for NEEA, and we report on activities and expenditures in annual and quarterly reports to the Oregon Public Utility Commission.