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Alliance Calls for Efficiency as a Key Component of CES

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Date: Apr 29, 2011

Powerlines

In March, the Senate Energy and National Resources (ENR) Committee issued a white paper and request for comments on potential design elements of a national Clean Energy Standard (CES). 

The Alliance took this opportunity to emphasize the importance of energy efficiency within any implementation of a CES. The Alliance’s comments, which were submitted on behalf of 20 members of the Energy Efficiency Coalition, highlight energy efficiency’s ability to meet consumer needs as a clean, secure, domestic and cheap energy resource.

Potential for a National Clean Energy Standard

In his 2011 State of the Union, President Barack Obama called for a CES as a central component of his energy policy. Specifically, he set of a goal that 80% of America’s electricity be generated from clean energy sources by 2035. In Obama’s proposal, energy efficiency would not count toward this 80% goal; however, efficiency would be advanced through complementary policies.

Ultimately, it is up to Congress to design the program, which is why the Senate ENR Committee issued the white paper on the topic and requested comments. These comments will be taken into consideration as the Committee determines how, or if, to design national CES legislation.

The Role of Efficiency

In comments submitted to the Senate ENR Committee, the Alliance calls for energy efficiency to be considered a fully eligible resource for meeting any CES without limitation. In support of this proposal, the Alliance points to the 93 GWh of electricity and 53 trillion Btu of gas that utilities saved through ratepayer energy efficiency programs in 2009.

Additionally, the Alliance points out that efficiency is the cheapest electricity resource, and thus will help participants achieve a CES at the lowest possible cost to ratepayers. Excluding efficiency as an eligible resource would “severely distort the clean energy market, unnecessarily increase costs and reduce potential benefits,” the Alliance says in its comments.