by jbs033009 j3 — April 1, 2009—A new study commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) concludes that implementing energy efficiency measures in Appalachia has the potential to help create tens of thousands of jobs and save billions in energy costs to Appalachian consumers over the next 20 years. Home to 23.6 million people, Appalachia includes all of West Virginia and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Conducted for ARC by the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), “Energy Efficiency in Appalachia” also finds that a bold energy efficiency initiative could cut projected energy use in the region by up to 24 percent by the year 2030. The jobs created and energy saved would depend upon the willingness of the region’s business and government leaders to embrace energy efficiency policies such as those modeled in the study, says SEEA.
The most effective policies modeled in the study include incentives for commercial heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) and lighting retrofits; expansion of industrial assessment centers to help industries identify energy efficiency opportunities; support for commissioning of existing commercial buildings to ensure energy efficiency standards; clean car standards; and residential retrofit with resale energy labeling.
The Appalachian Region’s energy consumption is expected to increase 28 percent between 2006 and 2030, compared with a 19 percent increase forecast for the U.S. as a whole. Without significant investment in energy efficiency, by 2030 Appalachia is expected to need the electricity generated by 40 additional coal power plants and enough oil to fuel an additional 5.2 million cars. The ARC study models policy actions that could reduce this need across industrial, commercial, residential and transportation sectors.
ARC has already begun to take action on the study’s recommendations, developing strategies to improve the energy efficiency of the area’s infrastructure program and launching two energy grant competitions. The study was completed in partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and the Alliance to Save Energy.
