In June 2009, the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act of
2009 (ACESA). This climate and energy legislation included a number of
provisions intended to help the U.S. reduce energy use through various energy
efficiency measures. Foremost, the bill requires utilities to obtain 20% of
their energy through a combination of renewable energy and energy efficiency by
2020, with energy efficiency allowed to meet up to 8% of the 20% goal. Other
energy efficiency provisions are designed to improve energy savings associated
with improved building codes and retrofits, and appliance standards. The bill
also facilitates energy savings within the transportation and industrial
sectors. Additionally, the cap and trade provisions of the bill dictate how
carbon allowances will be apportioned.
These energy efficiency provisions have largely been
overlooked in recent discussions and analyses of ACESA. When analyses ignore
the readily available benefits from energy efficiency they distort how energy
and climate legislation, such as ACESA, could affect American consumers and the
U.S. economy. Experience in the states that have energy efficiency programs
demonstrates that efficiency is the quickest and most effective way to reduce
energy usage and address climate change. This analysis evaluates the energy
efficiency provisions in the ACESA and finds that in 2030, such provisions can:
save American consumers an average of $486 per
household;
create over 600,000 jobs;
reduce carbon dioxide emissions over 500 million
metric tons (MMT; and
avoid the need for 419 medium-sized coal-fired
power plants.
