Agenda and Topics for Workshop #2 - Customer Needs

This ruling schedules a second workshop for December 15, 2003, at 10:00 a.m., and also solicits pre-workshop comments in order to select speakers and also to aid in structuring the agenda. This workshop has been scheduled for mid-December in order to allow for outreach to the various types of customers we desire to hear from. It is our intent to go beyond the service list in this proceeding, and as such, we agree with the parties who requested more time in order to prepare for this workshop.

The purpose of this workshop is to create a forum where various types of customers who may or may not invest in energy efficiency can openly discuss their specific customer needs with respect to energy efficiency, the barriers they see to successful program implementation, and the reasons for the lack of participation in energy efficiency programs. The ultimate goal is to better understand how the state and its program administrators should improve efforts to effectively reach customers who are likely to save energy, money and or receive other benefit from participating in energy efficiency programs. We seek to reach out to these individuals, small businesses, local governments, community-based organizations, commercial businesses and industrial businesses to hear their perspective on how to best achieve this goal. These findings will impact how we make future policy decisions in this proceeding.

At the second workshop, I hope to hear from a wide variety of energy users, as well as those who bring energy-related products and services to the market, about how to tailor programs and services to increase energy efficiency adoption, as measured by program or market participation and investments. The workshop will consider how and whether regulatory, legal, institutional and marketing factors have prevented customers from investing in energy efficiency. The workshop will also explore how state agencies could facilitate increased private sector investment in energy efficiency. In that context, the workshop will address strategies that have successfully promoted long-term energy efficiency investments.

The format of the workshop will differ from the first in that we would like to create a more interactive and focused discussion of the issues, as well as hear from other parties not selected to be speakers. An agenda will be issued before the workshop. If you are unable to attend the workshop, we strongly encourage participation by way of written comments.