Global Warming News

CHICAGO, Illinois— A new national report finds that Illinois households would save an average of $252 per year and 30,400 sustainable jobs would be created in the state over the next ten years if Congress acts now to include strong energy efficiency improvements in energy and climate legislation. The report, entitled Energy Efficiency in the American Clean Energy Security Act of 2009: Impacts of Current Provisions and Opportunities to Enhance the Legislation, was released by Environment Illinois and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.  The efficiency provisions would prevent 16 million tons of global warming emissions, equivalent to removing the pollution from 2.9 million cars from the road for a year.

“Americans know that energy efficiency is the cleanest, quickest, cheapest way of reducing our energy use and pollution,” said Brian Spranger.  “These common sense solutions will put cash back in our pockets and help protect the air we breathe, the water we drink and the future of the planet.”

The report also found that energy efficiency policies from the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), which passed the House of Representatives in June, would create 20,000 new jobs, save the average household $193 a year, and reduce annual carbon emissions by 9.7 million tons in Illinois by 2020.

“While the House bill is a critical first step in harnessing the power of energy efficiency, this report shows we can save even more money, create more jobs and reduce more pollution,” said Brian Spranger. “Senators Durbin and Burris should lead the fight for common sense energy efficiency policies and jumpstart the transition to a clean energy economy.”

The group called for policy improvements which would generate more than 569,000 clean energy jobs and save the average household $283 per year nationwide by 2020. These policy improvements would result in 48 percent more jobs and 32 percent more consumer savings than the efficiency measures in the House passed bill. In addition these improvements would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 480 million metric tons in 2020, equivalent to taking over 87 million cars off the road for a year.

Environment Illinois has been working to make the state a leader in efficiency, and Illinois is already taking steps toward a clean energy economy. It has put in place its own efficiency standard, strong building codes, and on-bill financing for energy efficiency upgrades. The state could benefit still more from national measures, and it is time to fully unleash the power of easy, fast, and cost-effective energy efficiency solutions nationwide.

Senators can maximize economic benefits to consumers by: 

• Supporting a strengthened Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS) requiring utility companies to reduce their energy usage by at least 10 percent by providing incentives and assistance to help customers make their homes and businesses more energy-efficient (ACESA included a 5% EERS with an optional 3% increase).
• Modeling electric utility allocation on that of the natural gas utility allocation in ACES, by requiring that one-third be used for energy efficiency improvements. 
• Extending the allocation of carbon allowance revenue to the State Energy and Environmental Development (SEED) provision.
  

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View the full report here.

Environment Illinois (www.EnvironmentIllinois.org) is a state-based, citizen-funded environmental organization working for clean air, clean water, and open space.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient America (ACEEE) is a nonprofit research organization
dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting economic prosperity, energy
security, and environmental protection. For more information, see http://www.aceee.org.