In principle, current regulation of investor-owned electric utilities is simple: the more electricity a utility sells, the more money it makes for its stockholders. This link between sales and earnings encourages utilities to sell more electricity, whether or not such increased sales benefit...

This paper deals with the most significant accomplishments of recent projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Least-Cost Utility Planning Program. This overview, with its accompanying bibliography, is designed to make the resources of these projects, completed in 1989, widely...

We argue that it is more appropriate to compare demand-side management (DSM) programs, rather than DSM technologies, with supply resources in electric utility integrated planning. To accomplish this, DSM technologies must be identified and screened for appropriateness in a given service...

This paper describes the contents and analyzes the results of detailed engineering audits performed at 41 institutions owned by the State of Minnesota. These institutions include community colleges, state universities, office buildings, hospitals, and Department of Transportation regional...

The behavioral response (e.g. changes in indoor temperatures, attention to window and door openings) to residential technical efficiency improvements (e.g. attic insulation, storm windows) is an important and largely unresolved issue. Although there is considerable discussion concerning the...

This paper describes a detailed quantitative evaluation of the Residential Weatherization Pilot Program, operated by the Bonneville Power Administration from 1980 through 1982. The program provided free energy audits to more than 6000 electrically-heated homes and gave zero-interest loans to...

Estimates of transition costs for U.S. investor-owned electric utilities range from $20 to $500 billion. These potential losses are a consequence of the above-market book values for some utility-owned power plants and long-term power-purchase contracts, as well as deferred income taxes,...

Least-cost utility planning is a new way for utilities and state regulatory commissions to assess consistently a variety of demand and supply resources that cost-effectively meet customer energy-service needs. This new planning paradigm 1.(a) explicitly includes conservation and load-management...

Abstract The US electric-utility industry is in the midst of major changes. These changes include deintegration of the industry and substantial increases in competition. A major consequence of these changes is the exposure of transition costs. These costs, which amount to $100-$200 billion...