Clean Energy News

Contact:  Kim McMurray, (505)254-4819, kmcmurray@environmentnewmexico.org

Albuquerque, NM- A new national report finds that New Mexican households would save an average of $337 per year and 4,300 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 New Mexico and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The efficiency provisions would prevent 3 million tons of global warming emissions, this is the equivalent of removing the pollution from 545,500 cars from the road for a year.

"It is widely accepted that buildings account for 40-45% of total energy consumption; 70% of electricity consumption and subsequently 45% of all Carbon emissions.It also widely accepted that increasing the energy efficiency of buildings is the fastest, easiest and most cost effective way to reduce carbon emissions," said Phyllis Kaplan, Center Advancing Sustainable Architecture.

"Americans know that energy efficiency is the cleanest, quickest, cheapest way of reducing our energy use and pollution," concluded Kim McMurray, Environment New Mexico. "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 3,000 new jobs, save the average household $241 a year, and reduce annual carbon emissions by 2.1 tons in New Mexico 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 McMurray. "Senators Udall and Bingaman 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.

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.

Read the full report here.

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Environment New Mexico 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. Click here for more information on ACEEE.