Western governors recommend policies, best practices to spur energy-efficient building (1/14/08)
Western governors recommend policies, best practices to spur energy-efficient building
DENVER -- The Western Governors' Association today recommended policies and best practices for energy-efficient building that could dramatically reduce the demand for energy and water, while providing a boost to the region's economy.
The recommendations included in the WGA report, Building an Energy-Efficient Future, were developed by stakeholders participating in a workshop held last year. Participants included representatives of building industries, utilities, public interest groups, all levels of government and energy service companies.
WGA Chairman, Gov. Dave Freudenthal (Wyo.), and Vice Chairman, Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. (Utah), said the report can serve as a valuable tool to governors, legislators and other public and private entities seeking to craft larger and more effective efficiency and conservation programs.
"As we struggle to develop technology, infrastructure and a diverse resource base to meet our region's growing energy demands, energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective tools Western governors have at their disposal today, Freudenthal said.
Workshop participants delivered to the governors a comprehensive set of recommendations that will help the region achieve a 30 percent improvement over current International Energy Conservation Codes. Experts in the field advised the governors that implementing best practices over the next 15 years could reduce the need to construct new generating facilities in the West by 48,000 megawatts, save 1.8 trillion gallons of water and create a net regional economic gain of $53 billion.
"Energy efficiency and conservation represent a vast and still underutilized domestic energy resource," Huntsman said. "Aggressively pursuing energy efficiency in Utah and across the West is a winning strategy."
Gov. Bill Ritter of Colorado, who addressed workshop participants, said: The cheapest watt of electricity is the watt that isn't consumed at all. It's called the negawatt. This is true whether we're talking about compact fluorescent light bulbs, more efficient use of passive solar or improved insulation and windows.
The report focuses on energy efficiency measures with the greatest potential to cost-effectively generate energy savings. They include information and education, stronger code performance, incentives for energy efficiency practices, removing impediments for utilities to aggressively promote efficiency and conservation, and use of innovative financing programs.
The energy efficiency workshop was held as part of WGA's Clean and Diversified Energy Initiative. WGA leads for that initiative are Govs. Freudenthal, Bill Richardson (N.M.), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Calif.) and John Hoeven (N.D.).
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The Western Governors' Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 19 states and three U.S.-Flag islands in the Pacific. Through their Association, the Western governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management.
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