Southwest Energy Efficiency Study

Synapse participated on a team of consultants to examine utility energy efficiency program "best practices" in the Southwest, and to estimate the benefits that would result across the region from scaling up the best practice programs. Synapse's role in this project was to model the utility system impacts and public health benefits that would result from the best practice scale-up scenario. Synapse calculated avoided electricity costs for each state in the study region (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) for the 2010-2030 timeframe. Synapse also analyzed the emission reductions and associated health benefits that would occur as a result of the best practices scenario. The study found that by investing a total of $17 billion in best practice energy efficiency programs the Southwest region could realize $37 billion in overall benefits.