Alliance to Save Energy releases report on energy efficiency

On Thursday, the Alliance to Save Energy released its latest report – the 2023 Energy Efficiency Impact Report.

The report, a ‘one-stop shop’ for energy efficiency information, quantifies the impact of energy efficiency across sectors of the American economy, alliance members said, and shows the benefits of energy efficiency, including reduced carbon emissions, lower energy bills, improved public health, and more.

“Over the decades, energy efficiency has transformed the way we use energy and has helped build a cleaner economy that is more secure, more affordable, and more productive. After several years of slowed progress, recent federal funding provides the opportunity for states, local governments, businesses, and households to further investments in energy efficiency,” the report said. “Given the accelerating urgency of climate change and the race to improve U.S. productivity and competitiveness in a quickly evolving international market, we need to fully capitalize on the expansive, diverse, affordable, and innovative energy efficiency toolkit. Using 59 indicators, the Energy Efficiency Impact Report tracks progress in a variety of sectors, including utilities, buildings, industry, and transportation, and examines how policy and other tools are used to incentivize energy efficiency.”

According to the report, investments in energy efficiency since 1980 have saved consumers nearly $800 billion per year in energy costs. Officials said if those investments had not been made, energy consumption and carbon emissions would have been 60 percent higher.

Energy efficiency policies and programs across vehicles, appliances, utilities, building codes, and other areas have reduced energy consumption to an estimated 30 percent of what it would have been without those policies and programs.

While progress has been made, the report said, further investment into energy efficiency is needed.

“Incremental investments in energy efficiency across buildings, transportation, and industry sectors in North America increased after years of stalled investment,” the report said. “However, we must raise our ambitions to support energy efficiency – advancing on tried-and-true policies that unlock private capital, drive innovation, and ensure energy efficiency is accessible for all while preparing for energy efficiency’s future.”

The report, made in collaboration with the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE), was released as an interactive, user-friendly website and allows readers to read through the researched data points easily.