The 3rd Edition of Research Reports International's Increasing Electric Utility Investment in Energy Efficiency Programs report (formerly titled Energy Efficiency and Electric Utilities) is a 50-page overview of electric energy efficiency programs.  The report takes a concise look at what states are doing to encourage energy efficiency and how it impacts electric utilities.

Energy efficiency programs began to be offered by utilities as a response to the energy crises of the 1970s.  These regulatory-driven programs peaked in the early-1990s and then tapered off as deregulation took hold.  Today, rising electricity prices, environmental concerns, and national security issues have renewed interest in increasing energy efficiency as an alternative to additional supply.  In response, new methods for administering, managing, and delivering energy efficiency programs are being implemented

Topics covered in the report include:

• Analysis of the benefits of energy efficiency and key methods for achieving energy efficiency
• Discussion of the role that energy efficiency can play in carbon reduction and quantification of its impact
• Evaluation of the business drivers spurring increased energy efficiency
• Discussion of the major barriers to expanding energy efficiency programs
• Evaluation of the economic impacts of energy efficiency
• Discussion of the history of electric utility energy efficiency efforts
• Analysis of the impact of energy efficiency on utility profits and methods for protecting profitability
• Discussion of non-utility management of energy efficiency programs
• Evaluation of major methods to spur energy efficiency - systems benefit charges, resource planning, and resource standards
• Analysis of the alternatives for encouraging customer participation in energy efficiency programs.

The Increasing Electric Utility Investment in Energy Efficiency Programs report comes in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and is available via electronic download, CD-ROM, or Hardcopy for $299.