Partnering with Weatherization: How a dual-fuel utility partners with non-profit agency to deliver whole house improvements to homeowners at all income levels. Mutch Usera, Cheyenne Light, Fuel & Power and Black Hills Power with Tiger Adolf, Wyoming Energy Council for the Four Corners Utility Efficiency Exchange, Durango, Colorado, August 15, 2008

Overview: Cheyenne Light, Fuel & Power has served the area since 1900. Acquired by Black Hills Corporation in January 2005. 38,000 electric and 33,000 natural gas customers. 163 MW electric peak; ~4.4 Bcf (billion cubic feet) residential and commercial gas delivery plus ~8.3Bcf gas transportation service. Own Wygen II, Gillette, WY – 95 MW Electric Generation Plant. Renewable - Happy Jack Wind Farm - 30 MW. 98 employees at your service. Customer Bill Payment Solutions Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs Energy Technologies Workshops Energy Hog Educational Tour Key Customer Account Program Wyoming Home Performance Alliance Founding Partner at Underwriter Level Energy Efficiency Awareness Day Energy Share Program Home Energy Suite Calculator Website ENERGY STAR Partner

Overview: Black Hills Power has served the Black Hills area since 1883. A subsidiary of Black Hills Corporation. 65,400 electric customers. 435 MW of Power Generation plus 50 MW of Purchased Power. Wygen III – 100 MW Power Plant under construction. Renewable – Happy Jack Wind Farm. District offices located in 10 communities in the Black Hills. 338 employees at your service. Customer Bill Payment Solutions Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs Electro Technology Expo Energy Efficiency Training for Realtors Heat Loss/Gain Training for HVAC Key Customer Account Program Wyoming Home Performance Alliance Founding Partner at Underwriter Level Energy Efficiency Awareness Day Energy Share Program SDPUC Wind for Schools Partner ENERGY STAR Partner SDPUC Energy Smart Initiative Partner Home Energy Suite Calculator Website

Advancing Energy Efficiency in Housing Overview: Wyoming Energy Council has served Wyoming since 1980. 501(c)(3) private nonprofit corporation Mission: To promote and further the conservation of non-renewable energy resources and the development of renewable energy resources.  Over 3,500 homes improved. Five programs for improving energy efficiency and client education. 40 employees at your service (by September 1, 2008). ENERGY STAR Partner Wyoming Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Sponsor Wyoming Home Performance Alliance Building Performance Institute Affiliate Southeast Wyoming Utility Efficiency Exchange Home Energy Makeover Workshop CLFP Energy Efficiency Awareness Day partner Weatherization Assistance Program: Laramie, Albany, Carbon Counties, Wyoming Low-Income Energy Assistance Program Provider Wyoming Learns Energy

In the Beginning…. Started partnering in 2005 Started with Weatherization references and sharing good utility data for weatherization low-income clients - - particularly important for energy analysis to meet Department of Energy requirements Both saw a need to provide cost-effective energy efficiency services and education to those people in low- to middle-income who do not qualify for energy assistance

Past Activities Continued to share usage information with weatherization Train CSRs to answers questions about wx and HPwES BHP/CLFP sits on WHP Advisory Group Shared space at Home and Garden Show Display information in Customer Service area at storefront Articles in bill inserts Links on websites Allowed in-kind support for outreach activities (also cash contributions) Discuss what usage data and why it’s available

Present Activities – Utility BHP/CLFP becomes WHP Alliance Founding Partner Wyoming GEOSmart financing for energy efficient improvements Reportable metrics of installed improvements can be obtained for use in plans from rebate and consumer loan information CLFP Residential Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Incentive Program (not tied to rate plan; developed before Alliance was formed) Home Energy Suite recommends a Comprehensive Home Assessment and points to WHP website

Present Activities – Nonprofit BPI Affiliate to ensure standardized training, testing, monitoring WHP training expansion focused in Black Hills territory WHP Alliance allows utility technicians and customer service to participate in contractor training CLFP Residential Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Incentive Program cash-back rebates tied to Home Performance certificates of completion encourages reporting Home Energy Suite referral points to WHP website drives customers to act Wyoming GEOSmart financing for energy efficient improvements made possible by WHP Alliance CLFP Energy Awareness Day expands into Southeast Wyoming Utility Exchange and Home Energy Makeover Workshop: broad-based utility forum and consumer outreach effort

Keys to Successful Partnering Determine mutual goals Find opportunities to collaborate and cooperate Communicate with the rest of your organization—person answering the phone needs to know what you are doing! Treat each other as a leveraging resource—that means putting a value on noncash contributions, especially for grant purposes Understand limitations of low-income weatherization—federal rules restrict what agency can do Encourage non-weatherization activities to diversify revenue stream and create discretionary funds Mission of your local nonprofit…they aren’t all the same. Goals of the utility…Behavior modification, delinquency reduction, shut-off reduction

What’s in it for Utility? WHP provides BHP/CLFP with confidence: Quality recommendation when referring customers to weatherization or to a Preferred Contractor in Wyoming Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. Building Performance Institute- (BPI-) certified (current) Building Analyst Professionals available in community Access to training so utility technicians and CSRs can understand and explain the process On-going quality assurance agreement (minimum 15%) Reporting—can be tailored to gather information important to the partner about actual customer results Bottom line: Reduced number of delinquencies/shut-offs

What’s in it for Nonprofit? Marketing and outreach support Rebates to support the contractors Hand out applications and make referrals for wx or private jobs Quality information on usage data to help wx perform good jobs Good will obtained (and given) through cooperative events Encouragement Financial Assistance—noncash or cash (Wx always needs vehicles!) Reportable Leveraging Doesn’t have to be cash. If you want your weatherization agency to do more private work, help them make it possible—donate used fleet vehicles.

Cool Things Discuss different program impacts/options as time allows…

Wyoming Energy Council More Information This presentation will be available on the Home Energy Makeover website: http://www.utilityexchange.org/fourcorners/ Questions Now? Questions Later: Mutch Usera Tiger Adolf Black Hills Power Wyoming Energy Council 605.716.3951 307.742.0313 jmusera@bh-corp.com tadolf@wyoec.org http://www.blackhillspower.com http://www.wyoec.org http://www.wyominghomeperformance.com