[mikeyouse]

The EPA and various utility commissions mandate efficiency programs, and efficiency improvements are often tied to promises of allowed rate hikes, but utilities also want to shave demand where possible.

An ideal world for a utility would be one where everyone used a moderate amount of energy at all times. The reality though, is that peak consumption is typically 100% higher than the night-time lows. An example from a utility;

http://i.imgur.com/gPR7DNk.png

Most of the efficiency programs are targeted at lowering that daytime peak. You would need less overall generation (saving money on building new power plants) and have a much more stable system if you could flatten that whole curve.