Energy efficiency is a bargain, costing utilities less than $0.04 per kWh of saved energy. Larger programs are even cheaper, with average utility costs of $0.023 per saved kWh. That’s the message that emerges from a huge database of reports on efficiency programs, updated annually by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Utilities and other energy efficiency providers submit annual reports on efficiency programs on EIA’s Form 861. We examined the total of more than 2,600 complete reports from 2010 to 2015. Key findings include: