Customer Decarbonization

4.1  Customer Decarbonization Introduction and Policy Language from SD15

EWEB Climate Change Policy SD15 – Customer Decarbonization Section

The Board further authorizes, delegates, and directs the General Manager to assist customers with achieving their GHG emission reduction goals through partnerships, technical assistance, resources, and programs that support, but are not limited to, energy efficiency, alternative fuels, electric and water conservation, electrification, and carbon offsets and sequestration.

Long-term conservation, energy efficiency, and demand-response goals are established as part of the IRP process. Additional program objectives, incentives and budgets will be established annually, as applicable, and/or through revisions to the strategic plan.

Since 2011, EWEB has aligned its investments in energy efficiency with forecasted load growth. It is not by accident that over the last decade, EWEB’s electric load has remained relatively flat despite our growth in population. EWEB has a great legacy for innovating energy efficiency programs and consistently investing in conservation to lower customer costs, thereby minimizing the need for new generation, and simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution.

This legacy began two generations ago when visionary EWEB Board members and creative staff embraced a wholistic path towards limiting the need for new generation by managing demand with customer-centric conservation programs. EWEB’s energy efficiency programs were the first in the northwest, and even preceded BPA programs by several years. In 1976, EWEB embraced the latest advances in home insulation and began offering home audits and certifications. These early innovative programs plotted EWEB’s future course as a leader in conservation.

Current circumstances require a deeper look at how EWEB will move forward with initiatives to support community and customer decarbonization goals. New drivers are changing both the availability of low-carbon energy options and the timeline that such alternatives might be implemented within EWEB’s customer base. These drivers include new regulations, new expectations from regulatory bodies (e.g., Securities and Exchange Commission), new demands and behaviors from end consumers, federal and state incentive programs, and changing prices.

Connections also exist between EWEB’s IRP power supply planning process and our approach to customer programs as EWEB seeks to define the relevant price thresholds for “cost-effective” energy efficiency and demand response programs within these broader changing conditions. As society undergoes the largest energy transformation since the industrial revolution, there are additional opportunities to engage with our community, reduce harm to disadvantaged populations, and increase our resilience to natural disasters simultaneously.

Content planned for future Guidebook Versions:

• Information on existing Green Options customer programs and incentives that help customers decarbonize:
  • Live Green: Energy Conservation Programs for Residential Customers
  • Work Green: Energy Conservation for Commercial Customers (General Service)
  • Move Green: Programs to Support Electric Mobility
  • Lead Green: Advanced Solutions for Climate Innovators
• Appendix D – EWEB’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy SD23
• Appendix E – EWEB’s Carbon Intensity Guidance
• Appendix F – EWEB’s Role in City of Eugene’s CAP2.0

Content currently included in v2.0:

• Definitions and metrics regarding how EWEB programs reach and support diverse segments of our customer base
• EWEB Enterprise Solutions (EES) implementation: the technology and process transformation needed to enable EWEB’s ability to deliver drinking water and electric services in a dynamic future
• Rate design analysis

Explore this webpage: 4.2.1 Live Green | 4.2.2 Work Green | 4.2.3 Move Green | 4.2.4 Lead Green

4.2    Green Options Programs

Through EWEB’s Climate Change Policy SD15, the Board directed staff to expand on options for customer decarbonization. Staff responded with the development and roll out of Green Options, which are voluntary programs designed to help customers reduce their carbon footprint in a variety of ways. The Green Options programs includes four areas of focus: Live Green, Work Green, Move Green, and Lead Green as described.

4.2.1     Live Green – Energy Conservation for Residential Customers

Incentives and zero interest loans for home investments that can save energy, reduce carbon emissions, and improve the safety and comfort in homes.

Links and Relevant Resources:

• EWEB Website: Residential Energy Conservation Programs

4.2.2     Work Green – Energy Conservation for General Service Customers

Incentives and loans for commercial investments that can save energy, reduce carbon emissions, and improve the operational efficiency of businesses. These may include standardized measures or custom projects specific to the facility.

Links and Relevant Resources:

• EWEB Website: Commercial Energy Conservation Programs

4.2.3     Move Green – Transportation Electrification

Leveraging financial support from the State of Oregon Clean Fuels Program, EWEB offers various incentives and efforts to support the switch from fossil fuel-based transportation options to electric options. According to the Oregon Department of Energy and its Oregon Electric Vehicle Dashboard, as of August 2023, there were 3,993 electric vehicles in EWEB’s service territory, nearly a 29% increase from the previous year, resulting in over 10,900 MT reduction in annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Links and Relevant Resources:

• EWEB Website: Residential Transportation Electrification Programs
• EWEB Website: Commercial Transportation Electrification Programs
• State of Oregon Website: Clean Fuels Program
• State of Oregon Website: Oregon Electric Vehicle Dashboard

4.2.4     Lead Green – Advanced Solutions for Climate Innovators

For customers that have done all they can to maximize energy efficiency at home and at work, or adopt electric transportation, EWEB offers programs for customers eager to do more. EWEB’s Lead Green program includes a suite of additional product offerings including:

• Cleanpower
• Greenpower
• Solar Electric Program
• Carbon Offsets
• Carbon Forestry Lab

* Oregon DEQ GHG Reporting Program published carbon intensity is currently available through 2021 only. 2021 value used as a placeholder for 2022 until new data is available.

EWEB Cleanpower invites customers to voluntarily match their energy usage with the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Investing in RECs allows developers of wind, solar and other renewable energy resources to build more zero-emission generation, because they know they will be supported financially.

Cleanpower is EWEB’s most cost-effective program for the bulk purchase of RECs to enable large customers to address their carbon emissions from electricity use through investment in new renewable electricity sources.

Cleanpower 2023 Program Details:

• Participants: 10
• Consumption: 1,835 MWh
• Total carbon emissions reduction: 62 MT CO2e

Links and Relevant Resources:

• EWEB Lead Green Program Options
• EWEB Cleanpower Program Details
• US EPA – Offsets and RECs: What’s the Difference?

Greenpower

EWEB Greenpower is a voluntary program for customers who want to support the development of local renewable energy. Like Cleanpower, Greenpower customers also match their electricity usage with the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to address the carbon emissions from electricity use by investing in new renewable energy sources. But Greenpower goes beyond simply purchasing RECs by supporting the development of local solar projects and providing grants for community environmental projects.

Greenpower funds support EWEB’s rooftop solar incentive program (see below). Greenpower funds have allowed 851 residents, businesses, and community organizations to install rooftop solar since 2001.

Greenpower funds also provide annual $50,000 Greenpower Grants to local non-profit organizations for renewable energy projects, clean energy education, the adoption of emerging technologies, or projects that increase carbon sequestration. Greenpower customers vote on which projects they want to fund. Greenpower is available to all EWEB customer categories.

In 2023, for every one dollar invested in Greenpower:

• $0.78 for local solar installations
• $0.16 for grants to nonprofit agencies
• $0.06 for REC retirement

Greenpower 2023 Program Details:

Participants: 1,606

Consumption: 17,896 MWh

Total carbon emissions reduction: 608 MT CO2e*

Please note:  The climate impact of local solar installations is provided separately from the Greenpower Total carbon emissions reductions reported here.

Links and Relevant Resources:

• EWEB Lead Green Program Options
• EWEB Greenpower Program Details
• EWEB Greenpower Grant Recipients

Solar Electric Program

Greenpower customers help support local solar installations by funding EWEB Solar Electric Program. Commercial and Residential customers can receive incentives for installation and may receive bill credits during periods where solar generation exceeds energy use.

Figure 10: Eugene Solar Installations, Residential and Commercial, 2001-2023

Figure 11: EWEB Solar Electric Program New Installations by Year, 2010-2023

Links and Relevant Resources:

• EWEB Solar Electric Program
• EWEB Commercial Solar Electric Program
• EWEB Residential Solar Electric Program

Carbon Offsets

Customers can become carbon neutral with EWEB’s voluntary carbon offset program. For customers who seek to reduce their full carbon footprint above and beyond energy consumption from sources such as air travel, transportation, or waste, EWEB offers a program to purchase carbon offsets, with the cost of the offsets simply added to customers’ EWEB bill. A carbon offset broadly refers to a reduction in GHG emissions or an increase in carbon storage that wouldn’t otherwise happen without customer investment.

EWEB offsets are currently sourced from a Carbon Forestry project in Alaska which, in addition to sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, promotes healthy wildlife habitat, enhances biodiversity, protects water quality, and supports the local indigenous community.

EWEB Carbon Offset 2023 Program Details:

Participants: 16

Total carbon emissions reduction: 59 MT CO2e

Links and Relevant Resources:

• EWEB Lead Green Program Options
• EWEB Carbon Offsets Program

Carbon Forestry Lab

The Carbon Forest Lab is an opportunity to invest in local carbon forestry projects aimed at expanding our understanding of natural climate solutions and enhancing the McKenzie Watershed, EWEB’s sole source of drinking water. EWEB has partnered with cutting-edge researchers at the University of Oregon to explore ways to quantify and enhance natural climate solutions (NCS). The World Economic Forum defines natural climate solutions as, “actions that avoid greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon storage in forests, grasslands, and wetlands.”[1]

The project seeks to answer a few core questions:

• What kinds of plants and trees sequester the most carbon?
• How can we maximize carbon sequestration in the soil to ensure long term capture that is impervious to wildfire?
• What is the best planting method for long-term planting success?
• How do we balance the benefit of more trees with the risk of wildfire?

Customers can support the development of carbon forestry technologies, improve McKenzie Watershed habitat, and develop local jobs and research training, while protecting the watershed. Voluntary revenues augment and expand project capacity, leveraging existing funds from University of Oregon grants and EWEB watershed protection programs.

EWEB Carbon Forest Lab 2023 Program Details:

Participants: 28

2023 Project Accomplishments: 8,540 trees and 23,100 shrubs planted.

Links and Relevant Resources:

• EWEB Lead Green Program Options
• EWEB Carbon Forest Lab Program
• YouTube Video explaining EWEB High Banks Carbon Forest Lab project
• University of Oregon, Soil Plant Atmosphere Lab

[1] What are natural climate solutions? | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)