Natural Gas Efficiency Programs Coming to Central & Eastern Oregon
Posted on April 14, 2006 by oregoncub
Tags, Climate and Conservation
CUB, Cascade Natural Gas, and the Oregon Public Utility Commission Staff have reached an agreement regarding the participation of Cascade Natural Gas in the energy efficiency programs offered through the Energy Trust of Oregon. Cascade offers natural gas for home and water heating (and cooking!) to customers in Baker City, Bend, Hermiston, Ontario, and Pendleton. The PUC Commissioners themselves still need to approve the agreement; we’re confident they’ll do it.
In a press release last October, the Energy Trust announced that, “Residents and businesses using natural gas for space and water heating have saved about 2 million therms of natural gas by taking advantage of energy efficiency provided since 2003 by Energy Trust of Oregon.” The director of the Energy Trust, Margie Harris, went on to say that, “Two million therms of natural gas is equivalent to the amount used by 2,800 typical households in a year.” Last year, Oregon residents eligible for Energy Trust programs saved more energy, and more money, than had ever before been saved using any previous energy efficiency programs. Those programs have benefited customers of NW Natural Gas for 3 years, but soon customers of Cascade Natural Gas will be reaping the benefits, too.
CUB has long been a proponent of consolidating energy efficiency programs within the Energy Trust, an independent non-profit with lots of expertise, a successful track record, and no inherent conflict of interest (such as a utility would have when urging people to use less of their own product). Under the new Agreement, Cascade will put almost $1 million per year into the Energy Trust, and the Trust will use those funds to manage the various rebates, maintenance and construction grants, free energy audits, and public education about ways to cut natural gas consumption.
Cascade customers in Central and Eastern Oregon will be receiving information soon about how they can best use the new opportunities for energy efficiency to their advantage. And because the Energy Trust already operates its electricity energy efficiency programs throughout much of Cascade’s territory, many customers will have the convenience of “one-stop shopping,” setting only one appointment to find out how to lower both gas and electricity usage.
If you live in PGE, Pacific Power, NW Natural, and soon also Cascade Natural Gas service territory, you are eligible to participate in the programs offered by the Energy Trust. To find out more about what you can do to cut your bills and reduce your energy consumption, go to www.energytrust.org.
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03/10/17 | 0 Comments | Natural Gas Efficiency Programs Coming to Central & Eastern Oregon