What Consumers Want

• Full Report: Renewable Resources and Conservation
• Press Release: Consumers continue to care about the Earth

• The literature shows that a large number of consumers support utility investments in conservation and renewable resources. They want their utility to actively acquire clean resources. They would be willing to pay more to ensure their utility does this.
  

  Example 1:
  Survey of those who support Environmental Issues or Good Utility Environmental Practices
  	Percentage
  Sacamento Public Utility District	87% (in favor or being environmentally friendly, and were also 98% willing to pay)
  Public Power (RKS survey) National	52% (ranked first in list of attributes ahead of low cost at 31%)
  Western Montana G&T	61% (agreed that utility should acquire resources with a positive or neutral environmental effect first)
  Seattle (Washington statewide survey)	73% (reported that environmentallt responsible power generation that protects salmon habitat was either important or vary important)
  *Survey conducted by the authors using information from surveys cited in this paper.

  
  
  

  Example 2:
  Survey Results Regarding Willingness to Pay Extra for Clean Energy Resources
  	Percentage willing to pay more	Amounts or Range
  Cambridge report, National (Reported by Farhar)	60%	$6 to more than $21 per month
  Sacramento Utility District	95%	5% to +20%
  SWEPCO	84%	$1 to +$10
  WTU	87%	$1 to +$10
  CPL	86%	$1 to +$10
  EWEB	56%	$1 to +$10
  CARES	66%	$1 every two months
  (same CARES study)	58%	$3 every two months
  (same CARES study	52%	$5 every two months
  Orcas Power and Light	55%	50% more
  North Dakota	72%	Something more (45 said $6-$10)
  Ravalli	22% yes, 26% maybe	Willing to pay 10% more
  *Information from surveys cited in this paper.

• Northwest consumer attitudes are consistent with those nationwide, although conservation support is somewhat stronger in the Northwest in terms of relative standing with renewables. Nationwide, support is slightly stronger for utility investments in renewable resources than in conservation. But taken together, both environmentally benign resource options were favored over thermal resources by significant majorities nationally and in the region.
• Some surveys asked consumers how green resources should be paid for. Should they be optional products or should the cost be put into rates where everyone would pay. A strong majority supported rate-basing conservation. It is reasonable to assume that people see renewables and conservation as beneficial to everyone and therefore, everyone should pay. If everyone pays then more green resources can be acquired at less cost to any one consumer.
• Studies showed that attitudes about green resources change markedly in proportion to information consumers receive. The more education and information they have, the more consumers favor such resources.
• Younger people and women are most likely to support renewables and conservation. In addition, people with higher incomes and more education are more likely to support these resources. There was general support among all groups for either continuing or increasing low-income programs.