Industrial demand side management status report: Synopsis

Industrial demand side management (DSM) programs, though not as developed or widely implemented as residential and commercial programs, hold the promise of significant energy savings-savings that will benefit industrial firms, utilities and the environment. This paper is a synopsis of a larger research report, Industrial Demand Side Management. A Status Report, prepared for the US Department of Energy. The report provides an overview of and rationale for DSM programs. Benefits and barriers are described, and data from the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey are used to estimate potential electricity savings from industrial energy efficiency measures. Overcoming difficulties to effective program implementation is worthwhile, since rough estimates indicate a substantial potential for electricity savings. The report categorizes types of DSM programs, presents several examples of each type, and explores elements of successful programs. Two in-depth case studies (of Boise Cascade and of Eli Lilly and Company) illustrate two types of effective DSM programs. Interviews with staff from state public utility commissions indicate the current thinking about the status and future of industrial DSM programs. Finally, the research report also includes a comprehensive bibliography, a description of technical assistance programs, and an example of a methodology for evaluating potential or actual savings from projects