Can increasing energy efficiency stabilize the economy and create jobs? That’s the claim of the Alliance to Save Energy, a “national consortium of energy experts, businesses, and government leaders.” 

As reported in the Seattle Times, the Alliance will be hosting an energy-saving meeting in Seattle this week, with council members, utility managers and Governor Jay Inslee (WA) in attendance. The hope is that this “meeting of the minds” will help the alliance launch its campaign to “double the nations energy savings by 2030.”

According to Kateri Callahan, president of the Alliance, an investment of $166 billion in energy-efficient vehicles and industrial equipment could “lower the overall US energy cost by $494 billion per year.” This investment would also reduce carbon emissions by 4 billion tons, and “the nation would also be less susceptible to price spikes in oil and gas.”

But of course the biggest enticement is the economic impacts of energy efficiency. As the Seattle Times reports, “according to Callahan, doubling the productivity the US gets from its energy would change the composition of the economy, if the savings were directed toward labor-intensive jobs in industry and service.”

One of the first steps the Alliance hopes to take is to increase residential energy efficiency—particularly by promoting insulation and weatherization. In many parts of the nation, energy costs are relatively low, and thus the need to conserve energy is not incentivized. By starting with the low-hanging fruit and getting local governments involved, the Alliance hopes to jumpstart larger energy efficiency programs and projects.

P.S.
If you’re looking for a way to harvest your own low-hanging fruit, energy-efficient lighting retrofits are always a good place to start. This week, Forester University will be presenting “Retrofit the Right Way—Save Energy and Reduce Costs with Lighting Controls.” Presented by Brent Protzman (PhD, LEED GA, CEM, LC) and Gerard Darville (PE, CEM,), this webinar is aimed at “exploring how lighting controls can eliminate 60% (or more) of your building lighting energy spend and offer flexible control of your lighting environment.” 

You can learn more about the webinar at www.foresteruniversity.net/webinar-retrofit.html.