FEI-FEVI 2010 EEC Report filed March 31, 2011 - FortisBC

FORTISBC ENERGY INC. AND FORTISBC ENERGY (VANCOUVER ISLAND) INC.
2010 ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION ANNUAL REPORT
By providing education to commercial customers, these pilot programs are aligned with the CEO
program area’s goal of building a culture of conservation in BC. Behaviour change programs are
difficult to measure through traditional economic tests; however, it is vital to include them and
devise a benchmarking method in the CEO program area as a result of customer demand.
8.2.3 CONSERVATION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING
As indicated in the EEC Decision, the Companies were directed to review the CEO program
area with a view to “altering the program to allocate funds away from the mass media campaign,
and to include other initiatives, with particular attention paid to... affordable housing initiatives.”
With approximately 20 percent of the Companies’ customers coming from the low income
sector, support within the CEO program area for the Conservation for Affordable Housing
program started developing in late 2010. The Companies supported the first BC Housing
Affordability Symposium with funding. Education, including print and online advertising, ethnic
material development, and outreach and engagement efforts, will be further developed in 2011
to complement the initiatives in the Conservation for Affordable Housing program area.
8.2.4 SCHOOL OUTREACH
The EEC portfolio is aligned with section 44.1 (8) (c) of the Utilities Commission Act, R.S.B.C
1996, c.473, s.125.1 (4) (e), a public utility’s plan portfolio is adequate only if it includes an
education program for students enrolled in schools in the Companies’ service area. This section
outlines how the CEO program area supported various school programs in 2010. It is the
Companies’ view that funding multi-year school programs will build a strong foundation for a
culture of conservation in BC through consistent curricula. The goal of the Companies’ school
outreach activities is to educate K-12 students on natural gas and how gas fits into the
province’s energy picture as a first step in informing students about energy conservation. By
reaching out to students, the Companies are instilling conservation knowledge early in the life of
our future customers. As school programs generally run over the September to June time
period, some programs in 2010 started the year previous, while others are continuing into 2011.
Table 8-5 summarizes the school programs that the Companies are currently supporting:
Table 8-5: Summary of School Programs, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 School Years
School Program School Year
BC Green Games 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
BC Lions Energy Champion School
Assembly Presentations 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
Beyond Recycling 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
Destination Conservation 2009-2010 and 2010-2011
Below describes in detail the four school programs that address the regulation and were
directed to elementary and secondary students: BC Green Games, BC Lions Energy Champion
School Assembly Presentations, Beyond Recycling, and Destination Conservation.
SECTION 8: CONSERVATION, EDUCATION & OUTREACH (“CEO”) PROGRAMS Page 155