Despite the urgent need to decarbonize, most utility energy efficiency programs are not designed, operated, or evaluated with decarbonization as a leading goal.

This report, which builds upon ACEEE’s previously published The Need for Climate-Forward Efficiency, introduces a roadmap of 31 options within 9 high-level strategy categories for aligning utility energy efficiency and deep decarbonization goals. This roadmap offers advice to legislators, utilities, regulators, and others on how to align policy, prepare the market, deliver effective programs, and ensure equity. Numerous examples of climate-forward efficiency actions are provided as early models that can be adapted to serve other regions’ unique characteristics.

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