Sustainable Energy Alternatives for the Southwest - Design with the Desert: Conservation and Sustainable Development - page 512

TABLE 29.2
Summary of State Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Standards a

Energy Efficiency Standard Renewable Energy Standard

Standard Remarks Standard Remarks

California 2010-2012 program

goal for investor
owned
utilities = 7,000
GWh (2.6% of
retail sales)

California has
adopted appliance
standards, building
codes, and utility
programs to reduce
energy use

33% of retail sales from
eligible renewable
energy resources by
2020

Nevada Up to 25% of

renewable energy
standard can be
met with
efficiency savings

See renewable
energy standard
column; extra
credit multipliers
apply to efficiency

25% of retail sales from
renewable energy
resources by 2025;
solar carve-out

Extra credit
multipliers for PV;
see energy
efficiency standard
column

Arizona Cumulative

reduction in retail
sales by 2020 of
22% of 2019 retail
sales

Arizona Corporation
Commission
regulation

15% of retail sales must
be met with eligible
renewable energy
resources by 2025;
carve-out for
distributed energy

Arizona
Corporation
Commission
regulation

New Mexico Savings of 10% of

2005 total retail
kilowatt-hour
sales in 2020 as a
result of energy
efficiency and
load management
programs
implemented
starting in 2007

State policy is to
include all
cost-effective
energy efficiency
and load
management
programs in utility
energy resource
portfolios

20% by 2020 (10% by
2020 for cooperatives);
minimum
requirements for
various eligible
technologies and for
distributed energy

Subject to cost limits
(limits vary by
technology);
overall rate impact
limit

Texas 20% of load growth

to be met with
energy efficiency
savings by 2010

5,880 MW by 2015;
10,000 MW by 2025
(of which 500 MW is
for non-wind
technologies; extra
credit multiplier)

a Standards may not apply to municipal utilities or cooperatives.

Energy efficiency standards require electric utilities to reduce kWh sales on a specified
schedule by offering or subsidizing more efficient devices for space cooling or heating,
water heating, motor drives, lighting, insulation, and so forth, and by adopting programs
to change behavior. Energy efficiency may also be achieved by better design of buildings
and sites as will be discussed later.
Renewable energy standards establish a minimum level of energy obtained for retail sales
that must come from eligible renewable energy technologies. These standards are intended to

• Reliably serve load growth while replacing conventional resources with clean
resources
• Diversify utility resource portfolios
• Encourage utilities to learn how to integrate renewable energy technologies into a
conventional energy supply system