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Energy Conservation Research of California's Utilities

Author

Listed:
  • Lawrence T. White

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

  • Dane Archer

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

  • Elliot Aronson

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

  • Larry Condelli

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

  • Barbara Curbow

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

  • Beverly McLeod

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

  • Thomas F. Pettigrew

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

  • Suzanne Yates

    (University of California, Santa Cruz)

Abstract

More than 200 evaluations of energy conservation programs conducted by California's four major utilities between 1977-1980 were reviewed and critiqued. In general, the evaluations were conducted in the marketing research tradition, were formative (rather than summative), and were dominated by nonexperimental surveys. Major threats to validity included:failure to consider secular economic and attitudinal trends, inadequate prior explication of key constructs, lack of random assignment, lack of appropriate comparison groups, overreliance on attitudes and self-reported behaviors as indices of conservation, and multiple unprotected statistical comparisons. Alternative evaluation techniques designed to reduce validity threats are presented, and a sample of the utilities' more recent work is assessed.

Suggested Citation

  • Lawrence T. White & Dane Archer & Elliot Aronson & Larry Condelli & Barbara Curbow & Beverly McLeod & Thomas F. Pettigrew & Suzanne Yates, 1984. "Energy Conservation Research of California's Utilities," Evaluation Review, , vol. 8(2), pages 167-186, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:evarev:v:8:y:1984:i:2:p:167-186
    DOI: 10.1177/0193841X8400800202
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