Cooperative energy efficiency report shows cost-saving, emissions-reduction improvements flow from energy efficiency
A new report released this week by the Alliance to Save Energy, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) laid out American progress on energy efficiency and its benefits to emissions reduction, energy bills, and public health.
All of this was contained in the 2023 Energy Efficiency Impact Report, a second edition that addressed investments made since 1980. According to the authors, efficiency investments have reduced annual energy expenditures in the United States by nearly $800 billion and cut consumption per household by 16 percent. In 2021 alone, the United States would have produced an estimated 78 percent greater carbon emissions without the efficiency investments already on book. Such impacts could potentially be increased with more federal legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act.
“We’ve reduced energy waste dramatically for years, but in the face of the climate crisis and rising energy costs, we have so much more to do,” Steven Nadel, ACEEE executive director, said. “This report shows that we can build on our progress with energy efficiency to make an even bigger impact ahead. The recent federal climate law gives everyone from state and local officials to businesses to individual households a huge opportunity to cut costs and emissions through efficiency.”
Further, the report found a number of opportunities for extra cost savings and emissions reduction through energy efficiency. Stronger energy codes for new buildings, performance standards for an existing property, additional industrial efficiency measures to reduce costs, and residential efficiency measures to increase comfort and affordability, as well as deployment of new technologies like zero-emission transit buses, were all viewed as good options.
“As American families face winter storms and rising home energy costs, energy efficiency is a critical resilience solution that reduces the potential of blackouts and improves energy security,” Lisa Jacobson, BCSE president, said. “This report reveals that investments in energy efficiency leads to real and cost-effective improvements for energy reliability, emissions reductions, and affordability. Prioritizing energy efficiency is central to advancing the energy transition in America and meeting our climate goals.”
Beyond the lofty climate goals, greater efficiency could help low-income residents navigate spiking bills. The report noted that more than 60 percent of low-income households face high energy burdens, with some paying more than a fifth of their income on utility bills.
