EPA, DOE Announce New Steps to Strengthen ENERGY STAR
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S.
Department of Energy today outlined a series of steps to
further strengthen the trusted ENERGY STAR program.
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)
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)
Electricity generation accounts for about 40% of total U.S. energy consumption. (Source: Institute for 21st Century Energy)
Estimated energy demand is charted to grow by almost 50% in the next 20 years.
