Energy efficiency could be used in an upcoming U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard to reduce CO2 levels with no net cost to the economy. Currently under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget, and likely to be released in early June, the standard would set a CO2 emissions limit for existing power plants under Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act.
A study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) outlines how the Environmental Protection Agency could use four common energy efficiency policies to set a carbon pollution standard that reduces emissions to 26 percent below 2012 levels. In 2030, these policies would save 600 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, save more than 925 million MWh of electricity, reduce electricity demand by 25 percent, and avoid the need for 494 power plants, according to ACEEE.
Further, adoption of these policies would significantly boost the economy, increasing the national gross domestic product by $17.2 billion and creating 611,000 new jobs across the country in 2030, including people employed in jobs directly related to energy efficiency, ACEEE contends.
“If the Environmental Protection Agency is looking for a way to cheaply cut carbon pollution and boost the economy while giving states the freedom to use their energy resources, energy efficiency is the answer,” said ACEEE executive director Steven Nadel.
The policies in the plan include setting a state energy savings target of 1.5 percent per year, implementing updated national model building codes, constructing economically attractive combined heat and power facilities, and adopting standards for five appliances. The energy efficiency technologies included in the plan have already been tested and are ready to be deployed. The vast majority of states already take advantage of some end use energy efficiency programs and policies, and all states have vast untapped reserves of this resource.
“If the Environmental Protection Agency is looking for a way to cheaply cut carbon pollution and boost the economy while giving states the freedom to use their energy resources, energy efficiency is the answer,” said ACEEE executive director Steven Nadel.
The policies in the plan include setting a state energy savings target of 1.5 percent per year, implementing updated national model building codes, constructing economically attractive combined heat and power facilities, and adopting standards for five appliances. The energy efficiency technologies included in the plan have already been tested and are ready to be deployed. The vast majority of states already take advantage of some end use energy efficiency programs and policies, and all states have vast untapped reserves of this resource.
Source: Fierceenergy.com
