Utility financing of energy management: the Puget Power and Light experience

Puget Power offered its commercial customers cash grants or 10-year no-interest deferred payment loans to finance cost effective electrical energy savings improvements in its Energy Management Program. An audit is taken, possible energy savings determined, bids accepted for the work, and the work completed; Puget Power verifies the installation of the conservation measures, and issues payment to the customer, who can now pay the contractor. Program expansion--including ''contractor initiated'', and abbreviated procedures for small companies--is discussed. Case histories-one of the Tumwater Racquetball Club--are given. Over 300,000 megawatt hours will be conserved annually as a result of Puget Power's energy management program.