Energy efficiency and demand-side management are integral parts of Tri-State’s balanced approach to resource planning. With its member cooperatives, Tri-State aggressively pursues these management programs in an effort to lower generation costs and help consumers manage energy use.

In addition to its existing energy efficiency and demand-side management programs, Tri-State is working to:

• expand its Energy Efficiency Credits program,
• develop regional specific load-control programs,
• develop energy efficiency and demand-reduction programs targeting specific customer segments and different regions, and
• expand training and educational programs for members and customers.

Collectively, these new programs could more than double energy savings from Tri-State’s current energy efficiency and demand-side management programs.

CURRENT PROGRAMS

Tri-State’s Energy Efficiency Credits Program has been in place since 1985 as a means to encourage and reward energy-efficient purchases and practices. The program provides consumers cash rebates when installing more efficient heating and cooling systems — such as heat pumps, electric water heaters and electric thermal storage heating systems. Additionally, irrigation, commercial and industrial consumers benefit by adding or making a switch to high-efficiency electric motors to power their operations. Tri-State has reduced approximately 30 megawatts in demand and saved 35,000 megawatts-hours in energy through its EEC program.

Compact fluorescent lights have the potential to save enough electricity to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year. With that in mind, Tri-State initiated its CFL program aimed at helping member consumers lower their energy bills. The G&T distributed over 50,000 bulbs to its 44 member cooperatives to further assist its membership in promoting energy efficiency.

Training and education offered to Tri-State’s member cooperatives on topics such as irrigation wiring, motors and efficiency, electric thermal storage, ground source heat pumps and energy auditing has helped staff better assist consumers in making smart energy choices.

As a key stakeholder in the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan , Tri-State supports a comprehensive framework to help meet the nation’s growing demand for energy in homes, buildings and industries. The Action Plan is a result of collaboration among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, along with the support and contributions of utilities, regulators and large energy users from across the country.

Tri-States support of research and development has been a long-standing commitment toward the pursuit and implementation of the latest electric utility industry programs, products and practices. The association is a member of two of the most renowned and prestigious research and development organizations in the electric industry – the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Cooperative Research Network (CRN). Tri-State’s $1.5 million annual investment helps fund the advancement of technologies and science that will improve the reliability and efficiency of electrical systems for utilities, as well as homes and business.

Tri-State has also joined the Electric Power Research Institute’s Dynamic Energy Efficiency Initiative, which will include research on “smart grid” applications. The initiative will address the near-term needs of utilities and other stakeholders to plan, invest in, and implement technologies that facilitate the transition to a smart power delivery, operation, load management and end-use systems.