Designing a Community Energy Program 
Community energy programs can take many forms. The information and resources presented here can help you design a program that meets your community’s specific goals, resources, and conditions. 

Communities and Demand-Side Management (DSM) Programs 
Utilities can play an important role in community energy management by designing and delivering tailored programs that address your community’s specific goals. 

Community Industrial Efficiency Programs 
Industrial operations consume a large amount of energy and contribute to pollution problems. Together, community organizations, utility companies, and industrial firms can design energy programs that help these operations reduce their energy consumption and the corresponding harmful effects on the environment. 

Community Buildings Efficiency Programs 
Community programs that address energy conservation in buildings can be very effective. Efforts to weatherize homes, reduce energy use in municipal buildings and schools, and make commercial buildings operate more efficiently can save consumers and municipalities money, ease budget constraints, and help reduce pollution. 

Community Renewable Energy Programs 
Programs that rely on renewable energy resources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal, can go a long way toward reducing your community’s consumption of fossil-fuel energy. These systems reduce the demand on utility power supplies and are largely non-polluting. 

Communities and Green Power Programs
A number of communities, utilities, and government agencies are putting "green power" programs in place to offer more choice to consumers about where their energy comes from. Green power is energy produced from renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal energy, and landfill gas. These energy sources have dramatically lower pollution emissions and cause much less environmental damage than fossil fuels.

Pollution Prevention/Reduction 
The production and use of energy causes pollution, which is both damaging to the environment and harmful to public health. Programs that strive to reduce energy consumption will help preserve the environment and improve air quality. 

Energy Use and Community Economic Development 
Reducing energy consumption your community can stimulate economic growth. By lowering energy bills, businesses increase their profits and consumers have more money to spend in the local economy. In addition, energy efficiency programs create new jobs through demand for related products and services.

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