Policy
Sound policy can break down barriers to energy efficiency at the local, state, regional and national levels. The Alliance promotes energy efficiency policies that are meaningful, politically viable and implementable.
Critical to the Solution
Barriers to energy efficiency — including the need for upfront capital investment, lack of consumer awareness and highly-subsidized prices for fossil fuels — often prevent even the "low-hanging fruit" from being picked. Fortunately, sound energy policy can break through these barriers and transform market conditions to create an energy-efficient nation.
Realizing energy efficiency's greatest potential is key component of the Alliance's mission and effective policy is a critical part of the solution. To achieve this goal, the Alliance Policy Team, which includes a research group and a government relations group, focuses on three main tasks:
- Policy formulation and analysis;
- Policy advocacy; and
- Education of policymakers, consumers and the media.
Sept. 20 Update: The Alliance soon will provide a toolkit designed to educate retailers and utilities – and their customers – about the lighting changes taking place across the United States. Stay tuned to 
On July 29, President Barack Obama announced increased miles per gallon (MPG) standards for cars and light-fleet vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is raising the average MPG standard for model years 2017-2025, requiring a 54.5 mpg fuel efficiency by 2025 for cars and light -fleet vehicles. This latest phase of fuel economy standards will result in a total savings of 3.5 million barrels of oil a day by 2030.
