TEXAS NEEDS EFFICIENCY

Texas Energy Efficiency Investments Would Save Money for Consumers and Businesses While Creating Thousands of Jobs; Investments Would Provide Cheaper Energy than Creating New Power Plants
March 22, 2011 (American Council for an Energy Efficienct Economy)

"Investments in energy efficiency in Texas can meet the state's growing electricity needs while saving businesses and households $14 billion on utility bills and creating 47,000 local jobs per year by 2030…

"…These are the [findings] of…Energy Efficiency Investments as an Economic Productivity Strategy for Texas from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)]…commissioned by the Texas Clean Energy Coalition (TCEC)…[with] insights and data provided by Texas experts."

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John A. "Skip" Laitner, study author/Director of Economic and Social Analysis, ACEEE:] "Energy efficiency is easily the most affordable energy resource in Texas…While a 20% to 30% efficiency gain over the next two decades may seem challenging, Texas is already finding energy efficiency resources at less than 4 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared to the expected cost of power from new generating plants of 6 to 10 cents…[and] the cost-effective efficiency investments will also drive new employment opportunities."

"The study examines a set of six alternative energy efficiency scenarios that cost-effectively reduce electricity demand. The assessment suggests that an expanded set of productivity investments across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors would not only reduce the growth in electricity demand, they would actually reduce overall electricity consumption 12% to 19% below 2010 levels by 2030…"

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"…[S]upply-side efficiency improvements, such as those made possible by combined heat and power technologies, and the expanded efficiency improvements in homes and businesses would save ratepayers a net $12 to $14 billion [through 2030]…"

Kip Averitt, former Texas state Senator/Chair, TCEC:] "We already knew that energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to meet the state's growing demand for energy…Now we have solid proof that common-sense energy efficiency would create jobs for Texas workers and produce an economic windfall for the Lone Star State."