AGA releases latest version of report on natural gas efficiency programs
The American Gas Association (AGA) released the latest version of its Natural Gas Efficiency Programs Report, which provides an update and analysis of the industry’s strides toward efficiency.
For the study period of 2020, the report found that natural gas utility spending on energy efficiency programs reached nearly 1.6 billion in 2020. That is an increase of 391 percent since the survey began in 2007.
“The payoff from these investments by the natural gas utility industry is immense and we’re seeing results in the form of lower bills for customers and through reduced greenhouse gas emissions.” Richard Meyer, AGA’s vice president of Energy Markets, Analysis and Standards, said.
In that study year of 2020, U.S. natural gas efficiency programs saved 325 million therms of energy, which equates to 1.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions averted. That is approximately the emissions generated by driving a car 4.6 billion miles.
“The tremendous energy savings achieved by these programs testify to their effectiveness in of these programs,” Meyer said.
Further, the analysis found that the responding companies spent a total of $4.3 million each day on energy efficiency programs in 2020. They said that direct impact activities like energy efficiency audits or targeted implementation of energy-efficient upgrades occurred in 93 percent of commercial and industrial programs, 74 percent of residential single-family programs, 89 percent of residential low-income programs, and 70 percent of residential multi-family programs.
