by Brianna Crandall — February 18, 2013—A diverse, bipartisan coalition of energy leaders drawn from the power sector, environmental groups, the financial community, manufacturing, transportation and government recently unveiled a set of recommendations designed to double U.S. energy productivity by 2030.
Chaired by U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and National Grid U.S. President Tom King, the Alliance Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy calls for growing the U.S. economy through investments, modernization and education. These efforts will target the entire energy structure, including buildings, transportation, manufacturing, power generation and natural gas infrastructure.
The committee asserts that if its suggestions are adopted, by 2030 the United States could:
- Add 1.3 million jobs;
- Save American businesses $169 billion a year;
- Increase the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 2 percent;
- Decrease energy imports by more than $100 billion a year; and
- Reduce CO2 emissions by one-third.
The commission said its ambitious Energy 2030 plan goals can be accomplished by expanding financing opportunities, unleashing investments in innovative energy efficiency concepts and technologies throughout the economy, modernizing our energy infrastructure, reforming taxes and regulations to promote efficiency, strengthening standards, and educating consumers and business leaders on ways to reduce energy waste.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was part of the committee, and offers an article about the plan on its Web site.
