The workshop is scheduled for Mar. 14 and 15, 2001 at Skamania Lodge, located in the Columbia River Gorge. The day after that, Mar. 16, representatives from the Northwest energy industry will to discuss what actions can be taken now, given likely future scenarios, to ensure that electricity is used as efficiently as possible through 2015.

Invited participants represent a range of industries, from energy to economics, marketing to manufacturing, policy-making to psychology, architecture to education. Former Senator Mark Hatfield, in announcing the conference and hopefully piquing the interest of attendees, says the increasing need for electricity supply has infiltrated virtually every aspect of human life, from the workplace to home entertainment, and that the alliance is bringing together leading thinkers to consider how the demand for electric energy will grow and change.

"Given the volatility and increasing prices of the current energy market, we need to consider what we can do today to immediately curtail electricity consumption," addsMargaret Gardner, executive director of the Alliance. "This workshop is an opportunity for us also to plan for tomorrow.

Sponsors of the workshop to date include the Bonneville Power Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, Consortium for Energy-Efficiency, Siemens Solar Industries, D&R International and Home Depot. The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance is a non-profit group of electric utilities, state governments, public interest groups and industry representatives.

The Alliance was formed in 1997 and so far has saved 20 aMW of electricity, which is enough energy to power more than 14,000 homes. By 2010, the Alliance expects to save over 400 aMW, enough electricity to run nearly 300,000 households and offset the need to build two power plants. Funding the alliance are Avista Utilities, Idaho Power, Montana Power, PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric, Puget Sound Energy and the Bonneville Power Administration, on behalf of its consumer-owned utility customers.