就在政府要求電力公司定期遞交盡可能以最低價格來滿足消費者需求之長期計劃(通常這是整體資源計劃過程的一部分)以來,需求管理工作因此卓見成效。這是求他們在關注供給方的同時,更要注意需求管理。一家電力公司針對可能發生之情形所做出的設計,與經由「效率衡量」模式的評估結果,並不一定相同,但這是個接受公開辯論的過程,因此非政府組織能夠在這個之間發揮影響力。
美國正在學習另一個關於需求管理的獨特經驗-取消對能源市場的限制,形成開放的競爭機制。此一過程逐漸取得更多的支持,許多州正在進行取消能源市場限制,它們也正朝著一個方向發展;原本電力公司的需求管理責任,被轉移到一種新成立的、由政府運作(或監管)的「效率單位」。而其令人議論的焦點在於,雖然立法者已盡最大努力給予電力公司適當的激勵,很多電力公司仍然覺得他們有利益上的衝突:它們必須一邊作需求管理,一邊銷售電力。加州,紐約州和其它州已對所有的電力銷售徵稅,所得的大筆經費將用在需求管理專案上。州政府機關將使用這筆錢,另外雇用公司來執行需求管理的相關專案。
版權歸屬 國際河網IRN,環境資訊協會 (金霞 譯,李傑、李瑞玉 審校)
中英對照全文:http://e-info.org.tw/issue/water/2001/issue-water-irn01073001.htm
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Demand management efforts have been most effective when governments have required utilities to periodically submit longterm plans for meeting consumer demand in the cheapest way possible (usually this is part of an integrated resource planning process). This requires them to look at demand management as well as supply-side options. Although a utility's assumptions may not always be a fair assessment of what is really possible with efficiency measures, the process is open to public debate, thus NGOs have some leverage in influencing the process.
Another unique lesson about demand management is now being learned in the US, which is in the process of deregulating its energy markets to open the field up to competition. As this process gains wider footing, many states that are deregulating their energy market are moving in the direction of taking responsibility for demand management away from utilities and placing it in a newly formed, government-run (or government-overseen) "efficiency utility." The argument is that, despite regulators' best efforts to give them the right incentives, most utilities continue to perceive themselves as having conflicting interests: they have to do demand management on the one hand but sell electricity on the other. California, New York and others have placed a tax on all electricity sales to collect a pool of money that will be spent on demand management programmes. A state agency will use this money to hire firms to implement demand management programmes with this money.
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