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Passion for Change
Interview with Mike Weedall, Vice President for Energy Efficiency, Bonneville Power Administration
Q. With the energy crisis subsiding, how do we keep energy efficiency in the spot light?
A. This is the challenge for all of us. Keeping the awareness there. We have to communicate all the reasons why we need a steady basis of conservation. The old paradigm was that conservation was a flexible resource that could be turned on and off. This was actually a disservice to conservation. In fact, programs thrive best on a constant basis. We need to have the resource there whenever we need it. Ramping it up can’t happen fast enough. . . . Besides, conservation is a resource that makes sense all the time, during a supply surplus or deficit. We must promote the benefits of energy efficiency: environmental, bill savings to the end-use customer, and economic development – lots of jobs. With the slowing economy, energy efficiency jobs can pick up the local economy.
Q. How can we distinguish between curtailment and efficiency?
A. During the past year, a lot of people realized that you can save energy without compromising lifestyle. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) are the perfect example, energy savings without compromising service. In our house, we have CFLs in each room and we use those lights. It is just as bright and we are saving lots of money. I don’t think people will go back to inefficient products once they see the benefits. Though we have to keep energy efficiency in front of them, highlight the choices they have and continue to bring the new technologies to the market place.
Q. What previous work prepared you best for your current job?
A. All that I’ve learned over the years. My on-the-job training. I have had the good fortune of working with a lot of really bright people over the years. For example, at the U.S. Department of Energy
, I worked with Maxine Savitz
. She ran a great group as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Conservation. In Vermont
, I started a department and built it from scratch. Then in Sacramento
, I had very mature programs that needed some tweaks to get them into high gear. And of course I had the honor of working with Dave Freeman
(currently CA Governor Gray Davi
s' energy czar) who has tremendous vision and energy to make change.
Q. What is your greatest challenge at BPA?
A. Steve Wright
has outlined the challenge. We need more steady state investment in conservation. My number-one charge is to help the region get off the roller coaster. I will be working with stakeholders, like the NW Energy Coalition
, to figure how we get off the roller coaster. We will need to convince all organizations involved in conservation efforts that they shouldn’t cut efficiency programs when budgets get tight.
Q. What is your greatest opportunity?
A. Almost the same answer. Steve has great vision to say that we need to persevere past the crisis. Setting up infrastructure and programs is both a challenge and opportunity. Some nights I go home and listen to music and think about that charge at BPA, and I am both overwhelmed and energized at the same time.
I might be a bit odd, but give me chaos and uncertainty and it gets my juices going. Studies show that change is one of the leading causes of stress. Not for me, I love change and taking on new challenges. That is one of the things I admire most in Dave Freeman, he loves stirring the pot and causing significant change. Freeman is always looking to the future and coming up with ways to do things differently with innovative solutions.
Q. So how do we make the Northwest Power Planning Council’s
conservation power plant happen?
A. BPA must have a leadership role and be an active player in securing stable investments. For example, Oregon
has state legislation and the Energy Trust
which applies to the investor-owned utilities (IOUs). I want to know how BPA can work with the Energy Trust to make programs consistent across the whole state for both public and private utilities. For years in California
, the five big utilities in the state all had different programs. Now things are becoming more consistent. We need that in the Northwest: real coordination and collaboration between IOUs, COUs (consumer-owned utilities), and BPA is essential.
Q. How will you balance BPA customer interests with the public interest?
A. That is a toughie. We must find win-win solutions where each party benefits. Everyone will not get their ideal solution but they will find that the solutions can work to meet their needs. I would like broad agreement that our goal is to get as much value to the region as possible while making programs affordable.
Q. The Energy Coalition has raised concerns that BPA’s Conservation Augmentation
(Con Aug
) effort will not capture much energy savings. Is BPA open to changing this program?
A. As the new guy I am not steeped in the criticisms and I have not been here long enough to know if Con Aug is being as effective as possible. But, we will look at everything, so Con Aug will be reviewed like all of BPA’s other efficiency programs to make sure BPA can tackle the challenge laid out by Steve Wright. It is possible that Con Aug may go through some changes, I just don’t know. You should note that we are very close to signing a significant Con Aug agreement with Seattle City Light for two years. Look for the details soon.
Q. BPA has three basic efficiency program areas: Con Aug, Conservation & Renewables
(C&R
) Discount
, and efficiency services to government entities. Do you see any changes to this program mix?
A. I am still in the active listening mode with BPA staff and stakeholders. I do not anticipate making any changes at this time, but as I said earlier, I will be looking at everything in order to shape our programs around the goal of getting off the roller coaster. I will be looking to ensure that we get the best value with the staff and resources we have.
Q. What do you think of the current BPA delivery model for low-income weatherization funding?
A. We have no plans for changing this approach. And the feedback we get from the states and community action agencies is that they are very happy with this program and its effectiveness.
Q. Any last comments?
A. I have devoted my entire career to promotion of conservation. I am very excited by this opportunity at BPA. In addition, we are so happy to be back in the Northwest. Sue
and I planned to retire here. This job opportunity allowed us to come back sooner than we had thought and we know that Portland
is our home for the rest of our lives.
Mike Weedall grew up in southeastern Massachusetts . He has a BA in Liberal Arts from Northeastern University and a masters in Public Administration from the University of Arizona . Before coming back to BPA, Mike founded the consulting firm Pacific Energy Associates , directed the Energy Management Services group at Green Mountain Power Corporation in Vermont and was manager of Energy Services and Electric Transportation at Sacramento Municipal Utility District . He also served as deputy director for conservation and distributed generation at the California Power Authority . Mike and his wife Susan have one son, Scott , who is in the 4th grade.
— Nancy Hirsh