Affordable Innovations That Will Reduce The Amount of Energy We Use
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America is facing a crisis when it comes to electricity. But also a tremendous opportunity. The forces that put us here look grim. Energy prices are high, supplies are increasingly tight, and anxiety is growing about climate change. But that dark outlook is driving consumers, utilities and public officials to finally take advantage of innovations that could radically reshape the nation’s power consumption without lowering the standard of living. |
Most urgent, of course, is the skyrocketing demand for electricity — and the tightening supply. Many parts of the country set new records for electricity use in July and August, which sent a warning signal to officials that they have little time to act. Conservation seems a much more feasible solution than quickly building dozens of new power plants to add generating capacity — especially if reducing emissions is a goal. The fact that the nation’s energy bill totaled $296 billion last year, up nearly 50% from 1993, also provides impetus. We’ve also gotten smarter about saving energy. New technology makes it possible to build more-efficient hardware without breaking the bank. And public officials now have much better data to draw on when they plan conservation efforts. They know what’s worked in the past and can build on that success.
search for : Energy prices, power consumption, standard of living
