Alliance to Save Energy Says Western Govs’ Energy Efficiency Recommendations Provide ‘Blueprint’ for Other Regions, Congress | Alliance to Save Energy

Alliance to Save Energy Says Western Govs’ Energy Efficiency Recommendations Provide ‘Blueprint’ for Other Regions, Congress

The Alliance to Save Energy News

Alliance to Save Energy Says Western Govs’ Energy Efficiency Recommendations Provide ‘Blueprint’ for Other Regions, Congress

Release Date: Thursday, June 15, 2006

Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006 – The Alliance to Save Energy challenges the federal government and states outside the West to emulate the Western Governors’ Association’s (WGA) commitment to increase energy efficiency by 20 percent by 2020. The WGA adopted this strong energy-efficiency goal and recommended an array of policies aimed at fulfilling them at its recent meeting in Sedona, Ariz.

“The Alliance to Save Energy calls on other regions of the country and on our federal policy makers to embrace bold energy-efficiency policy prescriptions such as those recently adopted by the Western Governors’ Association – which notably includes members from both major U.S. political parties,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan.

The energy-efficiency goals and policies are contained in a new report, Clean Energy, a Strong Economy and a Healthy Environment, produced by a WGA advisory committee co-chaired by Alliance Board member and former California Energy Commission Chairman William Keese. Alliance Director of Buildings and Utilities Programs Harry Misuriello served on the advisory committee’s Energy Efficiency Task Force. And expert advice and analysis were provided by the Alliance’s Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP).

In outlining the findings and conclusions of the advisory committee, Keese said, “The very good news we discovered in undertaking this study is that we can meet or exceed the governors’ aggressive energy-savings goal simply by migrating the innovative energy efficiency practices in place in some states to all of the others – we don’t need to ‘reinvent the wheel’.”

The Alliance particularly praised the WGA recommendations for energy-efficiency tax credits; incentives for and promotion of building codes that go beyond standard energy-efficiency levels; expansion of effective programs promoting best practices in industrial energy efficiency and combined heat and power; improvements in national appliance standards; and adequate funding for state energy-efficiency programs.

Callahan noted, “The WGA report provides ample evidence to support the Alliance’s claim that energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to extend our energy supplies, protect the environment, and enhance national security. Increasing energy efficiency in the Western states will provide multiple benefits for consumers and businesses without lowering productivity.”

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