Mar 31 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Becky Schlikerman Columbia Chronicle, Chicago

Consumers can save money by being more energy-efficient, a new report says.

The report, "The Power of Efficiency: Opportunities to Save Money, Reduce Pollution and Expand the Economy in the Midwest," released by Environment Illinois, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, highlights how existing energy-saving measures--technologically and policy-wise--can save residents money, create new jobs and help save the environment, said Brian Granahan, an attorney with Environment Illinois.

The report was released on March 18 at a press conference at 111 S. Wacker Drive, one of the first buildings to receive a high Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating, Granahan said. Along with the release of the report, Environment Illinois representatives, State Representative Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) and State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago) detailed new legislation that sets energy efficiency standards for new homes built in the state.

The report stresses simple steps consumers and businesses can take in order to be more efficient.

According to the report, replacing five standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs would save 1,100 gigawatt-hours per year, enough energy to power 120,000 homes. This change would also reduce energy consumption by 2 percent, saving Illinois consumers $1.7 billion on electricity and maintenance a year, Granahan said.

Other suggestions in the report include weatherizing homes with insulation, replacing windows and requiring all new furnaces meet federal Energy Star standards. If all new residential furnaces were required to be 20 percent more energy efficient and residents were using furnaces, by 2020, consumers would save 1,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity and 14 billion cubic feet of natural gas: enough to supply energy to more than 100,000 homes, Granahan said.

The report also details how businesses and commercial buildings can conserve by using similar methods.

The report is a "roadmap" for Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, Granahan said.

If these three states reduced natural gas consumption by 1 percent per year for five years, the wholesale price of gas would fall by 13 percent, according to the report. This is because when demand is down, prices fall, Granahan said.

All of the measures reduce pollution and prevent global warming, Granahan said.

people aren't using available energy-saving technologies. Some of these reasons include lack of knowledge and volatile energy prices.

"We need to adopt policies to overcome these barriers," Granahan said. "We hope that the findings of these reports will propel lawmakers to take advantage of opportunities to capture these benefits."

One of the key steps the state must take is to pass the Energy Efficient Building Act, which sets minimum efficiency standards for new construction, Granahan said. The bill has passed in the Illinois House of Representatives and now must pass in the state Senate.

"We are here to call on the General Assembly to take concrete steps toward making Illinois homes more efficient and more affordable," Granahan said.

Advocates are hoping the bill will pass this year, he said.

"If you build a home right in the first place, there will be immediate reduction in energy use as well as immediate reduction in energy cost," Hamos said.

However, Illinois is one of few states that doesn't have statewide energy efficiency standards, Hamos said.

"We have to join the rest of the country in recognizing that this is good not only for the environment, but it's good for all," Hamos said.

Rob Kelter, Illinois Environmental Council board president, said energy efficiency is an answer to economic and environmental problems.

"People can truly lower their bills by doing the right thing for the environment," Kelter said.

But passing a law isn't the only critical part of policy. Following through and making sure laws are followed are equally important, said Alecia Ward, president and CEO of Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes energy efficiency in the Midwest.

If the Energy Efficient Building Act passes, consumers in Illinois could save $2 billion by 2020 in energy costs, Ward said.

"It's critical that people change their expectations," Kelter said. "When people walk into a building, they should expect it to be efficient."