At the opening of the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall,
Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced up to $87 million
will be made available to support the development of new
solar energy technologies and the rapid deployment of
available carbon-free solar energy systems.
Public policies such as appliance and vehicle efficiency standards and building codes are responsible for at least 20% of the improvement in the US's energy intensity--energy use per unit of GDP. (Source: Institute for 21st Century Energy)
Today’s challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while meeting the country’s steadily rising demand for electricity make it essential for legislatures and public utility commissions to shift their focus toward mechanisms that make demand reduction as profitable for utilities as increasing supply. (Source: Institute for 21st Century Energy)
In 2007, about 58% of the petroleum consumed in the U.S. was imported from foreign countries--primarily Canada, Saudia Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico and Nigeria. (Source: EIA)
In 2007, the average monthly residential electricity consumption was 936 kWh. (Source: EIA)
In 2007, renewable sources of energy accounted for about 7% of total U.S. energy consumption and 9.4% of electricity generation. (Source: EIA)
