{"55336":{"#nid":"55336","#data":{"type":"news","title":"South Can Cut Utility Bills, Create Jobs and  Conserve Billions of Gallons of Water","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAccording to a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.seealliance.org\/programs\/research.php\u0022\u003Enew\nstudy\u003C\/a\u003E released today by a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of\nTechnology and Duke University\u2019s Nicholas Institute, aggressive adoption of energy\nefficiency programs in the South\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftn1\u0022\u003E[1]\u003C\/a\u003E\nwould lower utility bills by $41 billion, create 380,000 new jobs, reduce the\nneed for new power plants, and save 8.6 billion gallons of freshwater by 2020.\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftn2\u0022\u003E[2]\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ETotal energy demand in the South, where per capita energy consumption is\nalready higher than average, is projected to increase 16 percent from 2010 to\n2030.\u0026nbsp; At the same time, many\nSouthern states spend less on energy efficiency programs than their peer states\nin other parts of the country.\u0026nbsp; The\nresearch strongly indicates the South\u2019s projected growth in energy consumption\nneed not materialize if the region begins to tap into its tremendous energy\nefficiency potential.\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftn3\u0022\u003E[3]\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAn aggressive commitment\nto energy efficiency could be an economic windfall for the South,\u201d states Dr.\nMarilyn Brown of the Georgia Institute of Technology and co-lead researcher of\nthe study.\u0026nbsp; \u201cSuch a shift would lower\nenergy bills for cash-strapped consumers and businesses and create more new jobs\nfor Southern workers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe energy efficiency policies examined by the research team fall into\nthree broad categories: residential, commercial and industrial. Residential\npolicies include changes to building codes, appliance standards and incentives,\nweatherization assistance, retrofit incentives and equipment standards.\u0026nbsp; Commercial building policies include\nappliance standards and building retrofit incentives.\u0026nbsp; Industrial policies include plant utility upgrades, process\nimprovement policies, and combined heat and power incentives.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.seealliance.org\/programs\/research.php\u0022\u003E\u201cEnergy\nEfficiency in the South\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E found that the adoption of aggressive energy-efficiency initiatives in\nthe South would:\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Col\u003E\n \u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrevent energy consumption from growing over the\n     next 20 years. \u003C\/strong\u003EIn the absence of such initiatives, energy\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Econsumption\n     in these three sectors is forecast to grow by approximately 16 percent\n     between\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E2010 and 2030.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGenerate new jobs, cut utility bills and\n     sustain economic growth.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp; Overall utility bills would\n     be reduced by $41 billion each year\n     in 2020 and $71 billion in 2030; the average residential electricity bills would decline by $26 per\n     month in 2020 and $50 per month in 2030; electricity rate increases\n     would be moderated; and 380,000 new\n     jobs would be created by 2020 (annual job growth increases to 520,000 new\n     jobs in 2030).\u0026nbsp;The region\u2019s economy is anticipated to grow by\n     $1.23 billion in 2020 and $2.12 billion in 2030.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReduce the need for new power plants.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/strong\u003EAlmost 25 gigawatts of\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eolder\n     power plants would be retired and the construction of up to 50 gigawatts\n     of new plants (equal to the amount of electricity produced by 100\n     power plants\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftn4\u0022\u003E[4]\u003C\/a\u003E) would\n     be avoided.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResult in substantial water conservation. \u003C\/strong\u003EThe reduction in power plant capacity would\n     save southern NERC regions\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftn5\u0022\u003E[5]\u003C\/a\u003E\n     8.6 billion gallons of freshwater in 2020 and 20.1 billion gallons in\n     2030.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Col\u003E\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe set of energy efficiency policies we examined are also highly cost\neffective,\u201d said Etan Gumerman of Duke University\u2019s Nicholas Institute and\nco-lead researcher of the study.\u0026nbsp; \u201cOn\naverage, each dollar invested in energy efficiency over the next 20 years will\nreap $2.25 in benefits.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study was developed using the same state-of-the-art economic\nmodeling tool that the U.S. Energy Information Administration uses in making\nits annual energy forecasts.\u0026nbsp; The\nresearch team used this tool to compare a \u201cbusiness as usual\u201d scenario with a\nscenario that included a specific set of energy efficiency investments.\u0026nbsp; As the findings indicate, the analysis\nfound substantial reductions in energy use, prices, utility bills, water use\nand carbon emissions in the energy efficiency scenario as compared with\nbusiness as usual. This study provides a useful estimate of the benefits\nassociated with an aggressive commitment to energy efficiency.\u0026nbsp; Since it does not include every energy\nefficiency investment that could be considered, it is by no means an exhaustive\nmeasure of the benefits associated with an aggressive commitment to energy\nefficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnergy Efficiency in the South\u201d and state profiles that have been\ndeveloped for each of the states are available on the Southeast Energy\nEfficiency Alliance (SEEA) website: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.seealliance.org\/programs\/research.php\u0022\u003Ewww.seealliance.org\/programs\/research.php\u003C\/a\u003E.\nSEEA is a nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency in the\nSoutheast.\u0026nbsp; This project is funded\nwith support from the Energy Foundation (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.ef.org\/\u0022\u003Ewww.ef.org\u003C\/a\u003E),\nthe Kresge Foundation (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.kresge.org\/\u0022\u003Ewww.kresge.org\u003C\/a\u003E) and\nthe Turner Foundation (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.turnerfoundation.org\/\u0022\u003Ewww.turnerfoundation.org\u003C\/a\u003E).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Marilyn Brown and Georgia Tech:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EMarilyn Brown, a professor in the School of Public Policy at the\nGeorgia Institute of Technology, is an internationally-recognized leader in the\nanalysis and interpretation of energy futures in the United States. In 2007,\nBrown was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize along with the other members\nof the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Vice President Al Gore.\nAdditional information about Brown and her research can be found at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.spp.gatech.edu\/faculty\/faculty\/mbrown.php\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.spp.gatech.edu\/faculty\/faculty\/mbrown.php\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp; Brown has been nominated to serve on\nthe Board of the Tennessee Valley Authority and awaits confirmation. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Ivan\nAllen College of Liberal Arts offers one of the world\u2019s top public policy\nprograms. The research-intensive and globally engaged curriculum aims to solve\ncomplex problems in the public interest related to issues of research and\ntechnology, energy and sustainability, economic development and governance. The\nSchool of Public Policy is dedicated to scholarship and learning that is\nreflective, effective and sustainable.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Etan\nGumerman and Duke University\u2019s Nicholas Institute:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EEtan Gumerman is a scientific engineer at the Nicholas Institute for\nEnvironmental Policy Solutions at Duke University.\u0026nbsp; Prior to joining the Nicholas Institute, Gumerman was employed\nby Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and served as the lead modeler and analyst\nfor the Scenarios for a Clean Energy Future Project.\u0026nbsp; In this role, Gumerman coordinated the efforts of scientists\nat five national laboratories.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Nicholas Institute is a nonpartisan institute founded in 2005 to\nhelp decision makers in government, the private sector, and the nonprofit\ncommunity address critical environmental challenges. The Institute responds to\nthe demand for high-quality and timely data and acts as an \u201chonest broker\u201d in\npolicy debates by convening and fostering open, ongoing dialogue between\nstakeholders on all sides of the issues and providing policy-relevant analysis\nbased on academic research. The Institute\u2019s leadership and staff leverage the\nbroad expertise of Duke University as well as public and private partners\nworldwide. Since its inception, the Institute has earned a distinguished\nreputation for its innovative approach to developing multilateral, nonpartisan,\nand economically viable solutions to pressing environmental challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftnref\u0022\u003E[1]\u003C\/a\u003E The study\ncovers \u201cthe South\u201d as it is defined by the U.S. Census \u2013 the District of\nColumbia and 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,\nKentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South\nCarolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftnref\u0022\u003E[2]\u003C\/a\u003E Bill\nsavings, job creation and water savings #\u2019s are annual numbers as projected in\nthe year 2020.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftnref\u0022\u003E[3]\u003C\/a\u003E McKinsey\nGlobal Energy and Markets (2009) published an assessment of economic potential\nfor energy efficiency improvements in the United States.\u0026nbsp; The McKinsey study concluded that the\nSouth has the largest energy efficiency resource of any region in the\ncounty.\u0026nbsp; The South accounts for\n41 percent of the national potential for energy efficiency improvements.\u0026nbsp; This contrasts with the Midwest (26\npercent), the West (18 percent) and the Northeast (15 percent).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftnref\u0022\u003E[4]\u003C\/a\u003E For this calculation, a medium sized (500 megawatt)\ncoal-fired power plant is used for purposes of simplicity.\u0026nbsp; A larger nuclear power plant produces\nnearly one gigawatt and a typical natural gas plant produces approximately 300\nmegawatts.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022#_ftnref\u0022\u003E[5]\u003C\/a\u003E The North American Electrical Reliability Corporation\n(NERC) regions covered include all of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North\nCarolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri and portions of Kentucky,\nVirginia, Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPublic Policy Professor Marilyn Brown and colleagues show how aggressive energy efficiency policies could make the South a leader in smart energy use.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Public Policy Professor Marilyn Brown and colleagues show how aggressive energy efficiency policies could make the South a leader in smart energy use."}],"uid":"27310","created_gmt":"2010-04-12 12:57:43","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:49","author":"David Terraso","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-04-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-04-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"41677":{"id":"41677","type":"image","title":"Marilyn Brown","body":null,"created":"1449174338","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:38","changed":"1475894151","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:35:51","alt":"Marilyn Brown","file":{"fid":"99989","name":"tpq16232.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpq16232_5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpq16232_5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":56775,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpq16232_5.jpg?itok=u7pqxqNi"}}},"media_ids":["41677"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.seealliance.org\/programs\/se-efficiency-study.php","title":"Southeast Efficiency Energy Study"}],"groups":[{"id":"1183","name":"Home"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1547","name":"Brown"},{"id":"1362","name":"efficiency"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"1637","name":"marilyn"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDavid Terraso\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications and Marketing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-2966\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["david.terraso@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}