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Abstract
If Northwest utilities are to maintain consumer loyalty, it is important that they understand the wishes of their consumers regardless of the outcome of deregulation. We have reviewed public opinion surveys, as well as research and focus group reports, conducted in the 1990s across the nation, including 17 surveys or focus group studies in the Pacific Northwest. Taken collectively, this work shows that a strong majority of consumers supports utility investments in conservation and renewable resources. Moreover, consumers say they would be willing to pay more to ensure that their utilities invest in those "green" resources.
The surveys in the Northwest revealed that the majority of the region's consumers want their utility to actively acquire clean resources. This finding is consistent with national surveys. Nationwide, there is slightly stronger support for utility investments in renewable resources than in conservation, but both were favored by significant majorities (when taken together in the surveys in which each was listed as a separate option). Most surveys indicated that a majority of consumers would be willing to buy "green power products" from renewable resources at prices ranging from 5 percent to as much as 50 percent higher than the price for power that does not include such resources. However, some surveys found that an overwhelming majority preferred that their utility purchase power from renewable energy projects and add these to the current resource mix. The majority of these people want their utility to roll the higher cost into everyone's rates.
Next: Acknowledgements
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