Tennessee could curb the growth in its power consumption by 8 percent in the next decade and save the typical household $260 a year, a new study says.
The key is for the government to do more to promote energy efficiency with new building codes, appliance efficiency standards and tax incentives, researchers from Georgia Tech and Duke University say in the study. They estimate another 15,600 jobs could be created in Tennessee by 2020 if more is done to promote energy efficiency.
Because of the relatively cheap power provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennesseans used more energy than most Americans and have a greater potential for savings by upgrading the efficiency of homes, furnaces and appliances, the study on Energy Efficiency in the South concludes.
“The Southeast is the Saudi Arabia for energy efficiency,” said Dr. Marilyn Brown, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a nominee for the TVA board.
Most energy efficiency measures will more than pay for themselves in the long run, but Dr. Brown said the government needs to do more to set higher efficiency standards, tax carbon emissions and provide capital for conservation measures.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Times Free Press