Re-energizing Illinois: Building Real Demand for Energy Efficiency

The Community Energy Cooperative of the Center for Neighborhood Technology has studied residential electricity consumers in order to identify the information, measures, and messages that would help build demand for energy efficiency in Illinois. The final report contains:

1. The analysis of a survey of ComEd and Ameren Illinois Utilities customers, comparing
   these northern and southern Illinois customers to participants in the Cooperative’s realtime pricing pilot program, the Energy-Smart Pricing PlanSM
2. A review of current literature and successful programs in energy efficiency
3. Recommendations for effective policy and programs in Illinois

This research resulted in an energy agenda titled “To Control Costs, Get Smart about Energy Use.” These recommendations will provide ancillary benefits for public health and the economy. The written survey collected data on: appliance and electronic goods ownership, factors that influence appliance purchasing decisions, behaviors related to use of energy and energy conservation, opinions on energy and energy related issues, interest in using real-time pricing for electrical service, and demographics. An additional telephone interview, administered to a subset of respondents, probed the respondents’ opinions and knowledge in more detail.