On August 20, 1996, Western published its Renewable Resources Policy. The Policy states that Western shall establish a program to facilitate the voluntary use of renewable resources by Western's wholesale customers. Western shall provide technical expertise and marketing information, and act as a facilitator with Western's customers and renewable energy developers. The goal of the program is to identify customers that desire renewable resources in their generation mix, and provide the technical and marketing assistance required for them to fully evaluate the option.

Through Renewable Resources for Federal Agencies, Western is helping Federal agencies gain the benefits from meeting some or all of their electricity needs with renewables. Western has coordinated several agencies in the purchase of renewable energy certificates--the environmental benefits of renewable generation sold separately from the power itself. These purchases allow agencies to pay a competitive price while supporting the market for wind, solar, geothermal and biomass development.

In 2005, Western's Renewable Resource program completed a six-part Web cast entitled Guidebook to Expand the Use of Renewables in the Supply Portfolio. The series was based on a new resource by the same name, produced by Western and the American Public Power Association Demonstration of Energy-Efficient Developments Program  .

Approximately 30 electric utilities from across the nation participated in the six-part series, including several Western customers. Co-sponsors included the APPA DEED Program, the U.S. Department of Energy GeoPowering the West program and the U.S. DOE Wind Powering America program.

With Wind Powering America, Western co-sponsored an Arizona Wind Symposium in January 2005 and a State Land Workshop in Arizona in March 2005.

Our four regional offices and the Colorado River Storage Project Customer Service Center sponsor technical assistance workshops for customers.

Western publishes the bi-monthly Energy Services Bulletin, which details customer energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and other relevant energy services information for customers and interested parties. The Green Power Market Research News is a weekly news service that covers green power, renewable energy and related market research strategies.

Western and staff actively participate in many renewable energy organizations, including the Solar Electric Power Association  , Utility Wind Interest Group    , U.S. DOE Wind Powering America Program  , the U.S. DOE GeoPowering the West Program   and others to make the latest in renewable development and activities available to our customers.

At the 2005 Geothermal Resources Council  annual meeting in Reno, Nev., Western played a key role in launching a new organization called the Utility Geothermal Working Group. The mission of the UGWG is to accelerate the appropriate integration of cost effective geothermal technologies into mainstream applications of direct use, power generation and ground source heat pumps.

Our Renewable Resources Program coordinates activities with national laboratories involved in conducting renewable resource research and development which may benefit Western customers. Laboratories including the Sandia National Laboratories  , National Renewable Energy Laboratory  , Idaho National Laboratory   , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory   and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory  , among others.

Western conducts transmission studies for utilities and agencies that wish to interconnect with Western's transmission lines to wheel power from renewable sources to customers.