Yet in the recent past, utility monopolies would only offer energy conservation programs to consumers if they were financially rewarded for selling less of their product. In a deregulated environment, some policy analysts wondered if such an approach still made sense. The forecasted drops in electricity prices could make utilities less interested in promoting measures that reduce energy consumption. Consumers need to be more accustomed to taking into account these benefits when making purchases. Energy efficiency products and services must also come down in price, said Gamson.
Polls show that California citizens are predisposed to improve the environment.
Yet consumers are also concerned about their pocketbooks. We can't just rely on the impulse to do good. A plethora of private companies, local governments and non-profit institutions will compete to gain access to these funds in order to lower your electricity bills. Instead we hope to have a sustainable energy efficiency industry and these companies will be experienced enough, large enough, diverse enough and competitive enough to provide services without subsidies. Schultz noted that only Wisconsin is currently considering this radical, California-style approach to transforming the energy efficiency market.