20050413Comment.pdf

04/12/2005 15: 32
Renewable
Northwest
Project
917 SW Oak
Suite 303
Portland, OR 97205
tel 503,223.4544
fax [phone]
www.rnp.org
Members
American Wind
Energy A~~ocii.'1tion
Ci1lplne CorporatIon
C~ntcr "or
f,ncrgy EUicien(y and
Rcnewl!ble Tf'.chn(llogit'.~
CH2M Hili
Citiz~nsr Utility Boitrd
D;,wid Evan.. & I\s..oclate..
Eunls Energy Arneric::~
FPl ~nerQY, Inc.
Gf:othc::rmitl
RE:~ourcc:~ Council
GI":. Wine:! F.nf'.r9Y
Green Mountain Energy
Montana Environment,,1
Inform::!tion Ct:nter
Monl.1na Public Inter':!st
R~SE::;1rch Grvup
N;ltlural Resourcoes
DefensE Coun~il
NW Energy Co;'llil ion
Norlhwc~l:
Envlronment;'!1 Advo(ates
Oreqon Stat':! Public
Inlerest "Res':!ard' (".rvup
Orion Energy
PPM EMrgy, Inc,
Portli.'1nd Ent!rgy
Comcrv1llion, Ine.
RES AmoerlcC1
Developments. Inc,
Shuk~;~n Energy Col'~lIlt'in9
Stocl Rive.., LLP
Vc~1:a::: Amerlcc!ln
Wind To:-chnology. Inc.
Washington
Environment..1 Cf)undl
w.:uhingtol' St~tc: Public
Intoere~t RC'.~(~8rch Group
Zillthil Rc-.newabloe Energy
5032234554,RENEWABLENW
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April 12, 2005
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iT i ' ~r.c:'. r ~"t"'11SS1nNv ~\ t f !.,- J Chit Renewable Northwest Project
Commissioner Kjellander
Commissioner Smith
Commissioner Hansen
Idaho Public Uti1ities Co1nrnission
POBox 83720
Boise, Idaho 83720-0074
RE: P AC-OS-O3 PacifiCorp application for approval of anew
, ~.
oluntary
renewable energy bulk-purchase option tariff.
The Renews,bIe Northwest Project (RNP) appreciates the opportunity to submit
com,ments supporting PacifiCorp s proposal to allow commercial. and industrial
customers to purchase renewable energy through the Blue Sky QS program (PAC-
05-03). RNP, established in 1994, is a unique coalition of energy companies,
consumer groups and. environmental groups that supports the responsible development
of renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest.
PacifiCorp s Blue Sky QS (quantity savings) product wou.ld an ow commercial
customers to purchase renewab1c energy frO1" Utah Power for less than the usual
$1.95 per block, providing they purchase at least 101 blocks of Blue Sky per month for
a year. Blue Sky is sold in IOO-kHowatt hour increments , and this Blue Sky QS option
has ~lready been approved in Oregon, Washington, Utah and Wyoming.
The quantjty savings option is an incentive for large energy consumers to buy more
clean power from renewable resources. Th,e fol.1owing a,re some examples of
prOJninent commercial customers in Oregon that have increased their renewable
energy purchases as a result of the Blue Sky QS program: Ashforth Pacific, Bonneville
Power Administratjon, Columbia Steel~ FcdEx Kinko s, Iiewlett-Packard, Port of
Portland, the Oregon Conventjon Center and Xanterra Parks and Resorts.
Additionally, the Blue Sky QS product allows custorners with multiple sites withjn
PaciflCorp service territory to aggregate their purchases to meet the minim urn
purchase amount. FedEx..Kinko s is taking advantage of this for their Oregon and
Utah stores. PacifiCorp has made it easy for customers to ca.1culate costs and
environm,enta1 benefits with their online calculator and enrollment information.
Even the minimum Blue Sky QS purchase ha,s significant environmental benefits:
Purchasing 101 blocks of Blue Sky per month for a year offsets 121 tons of carbon
dioxide, which is equiva1ent to taking 21 cars off the road for a year or planting 48
acres of trees. Also, wjth every kilowatt-hour ofrenewa,ble energy purchased through
Blue Sky, two pounds of carbon dioxide emissions are offset.
04/12/2005 15: 32 5032234554 RENEWABLENW PAGE 03
More and more residential and commercial custo1"ers are participating in utiHty-
offered green power 'programs. These programs allow consumers to express their
support for clean energy directly. In the Northwest, more than 8
000 customers are purcha,sing green power from their utility.
In Idaho, over 500 Utah Power customers are enrolled in the Blue Sky program
including several businesses. Approval of this product could stimulate new interest
among commercial customers and would provide another opportunity to infonn Utah
Power custolners about their renewable energy options.
The Blue Sky QS product is a good choice for custO1"ers interested in la.rge green
power purchases. It is a simple, effective tool for commercial custO1"ers in other
states, allowing them the opportunity to purchase rnore clean, renewable power at a
reasonable cost. We hope you will allow Utah Power to offer this product to their
Idaho customers.
Thank you for your consideration.
Dian~ Zipper Ji-
Director of Green Power Programs Senior Policy Associate