Alliance chief Glover testifies before Congress on energy efficiency

Paula Glover, the president of the Alliance to Save Energy, testified before a Congressional committee Thursday on the importance of energy efficiency in addressing the climate crisis, increasing energy security, and energy affordability.

“We are required to lead in energy production, but we must also lead in energy efficiency throughout all sectors of the U.S. economy, including manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and the built environment,” Glover told the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

Glover pointed out that efficiency is the largest employer in the clean energy economy. Glover noted that the energy efficiency sector is about seven times the size of the wind and solar industry workforces combined and more than 10 times the size of the coal industry workforce. Energy efficiency jobs have an average pay that is 28 percent higher than the national median.

She also said it is the most effective solution to reduce carbon emissions. Efficiency will account for nearly half of the emissions reductions needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, according to the International Energy Agency.

Glover also highlighted several policy proposals that the Alliance supports to bring energy cost savings to consumers. Specifically, the Alliance has proposed three tax incentive proposals, including one to strengthen and modernize the Sec. 25C tax credit for homeowner improvements. Another is the 179D tax deduction for commercial buildings, and the third is the 45L tax credit for constructing high-efficiency new homes.

“If we’re talking about economic impact, energy efficiency is the largest employer in the clean energy economy,” Glover said. “We employ over 2.1 million people in the United States, and energy efficiency jobs are located in all but six counties in this country. We do this locally.”

The Alliance president also emphasized efficiency’s ability to reduce the energy cost burden, particularly for low-income households.

“Without these investments made in efficiency since 1980, energy consumption would have been more than 60% higher, and these same investments help consumers avoid approximately $800 billion a year in energy costs,” Glover said. “That is the power of efficiency. This is achieved by investments that secure the building envelope, equipment standards, building codes, building design, and establishing policies that prioritize efficiency as a primary part of U.S. domestic policy.”