Emission impacts of demand-side programs: What have we achieved so far and how will recent policy decision change program choices?

Congress and many state legislatures have been discussing the possibility of regulating carbon dioxide (CO2), Sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) and other emissions. Key to these discussions is the recommendation that energy efficiency, and specifically electric utility demand-side management (DSM) programs, be used as an emission control option. Methods for incorporating the social or external costs of energy production into utility planning are being developed, and estimates of potential emission impacts attributed to DSM programs have been calculated. However, little research has calculated the actual emission impacts from existing DSM programs. The increasing need for electric energy services and fossil fuel generation create an apparent conflict with the risks and regulations associated with global climate change and clean air. Electric utility DSM programs can be used to resolve these conflicts by providing equal or better energy services and a net reduction in emissions. This paper summarizes three separate related research projects. The first study, Impacts of Electric Utility Demand-Side Management Programs on Power Plant Emissions, collects utility and state data on existing DSM programs to approximate the level of SO2, NOx, and CO2 reductions on a regional and national basis. Phase 1 of this study is a completed survey of DSM savings by state. The second and third studies, Carbon Dioxide Reduction Through Electrification of the Industrial and Transportation Sectors, and Carbon Dioxide Reduction Through Electrification of the Residential and Commercial Sectors, compare selected high efficiency electric technologies with fossil-fueled alternatives to determine CO2 emissions. Through these studies, the authors have begun to quantify the emissions impacts from utility DSM programs and efficient electric equipment