Conservation: The Power We Don’t Have to Produce

Every day, we flip switches, adjust thermostats, and plug in chargers without a second thought. Most of the time, electricity is there instantly and reliably, which makes it easy to take for granted. But keeping it reliable and affordable doesn’t just happen on its own — it takes the everyday choices our customers make to use energy more wisely. Families, businesses, farmers, and schools across the Northwest are making changes that add up to big savings. With support from utilities like Central Lincoln, customers are proving that the cheapest, cleanest power is the power we don’t have to produce.

Electric utilities have always had to balance supply and demand. For community-owned public power utilities, the modern concept of conservation as a resource took shape in 1980, when Congress passed the Northwest Power Act. The law made conservation a cornerstone of our region’s energy strategy, directing the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and public utilities to invest in efficiency first, before building new, costly resources. More than 40 years later, Northwest customers are still leading the way.

In 2024 alone, the actions customers took (like upgrading heating systems, improving insulation, and installing efficient equipment) saved enough electricity to power about 28,000 homes for a year. Those choices added up to more than $31 million in avoided energy costs across the Northwest.

Since the early 1980s, customer-driven conservation across BPA-supported public power utilities has saved enough electricity to power 1.9 million homes. Together, those savings have kept about $2.2 billion in customers’ pockets instead of being spent on more expensive energy resources.

These results are impressive on their own, but they also bring a direct benefit: helping keep your rates lower. Without these efforts, utilities would need to buy or build power plants: an extremely expensive option.

Why does this matter to Central Lincoln customers? Because conservation benefits everyone. It helps keep power affordable, makes homes and businesses more comfortable, supports schools and communities, and protects our clean hydropower system for the future. Every upgrade, big or small, adds up to make a difference.

At Central Lincoln, we’re proud to partner with our customers in this long-term, regional effort. Conservation isn’t just about numbers; it’s about people making everyday choices that keep electricity affordable, reliable, and sustainable for the coast we call home.

These figures come from BPA’s 2024 Annual Conservation Review, which tracks conservation progress across the region.