Renewable energy may not be the only way to boost productivity in the US
February 26, 2013Research suggests that energy efficiency could be just as effective as renewable energy
Energy production has been a growing issue in the U.S., especially as the country begins to look for ways to break away from fossil-fuels. Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been focusing on the issue for some time and have developed a fairly complex understanding of the country’s energy production and what can be done to improve it. Recently, the U.S. has been working to find new methods of energy production to meet growing demand for electrical power. Researchers suggest that energy efficiency may be a more appropriate focus for the country.
Energy efficiency may not be as costly as developing new power systems
Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory suggest that energy efficiency can be as effective for energy production as finding new ways to generate energy can be. Finding new ways to produce power, primarily through the adoption and support of renewable energy systems, is one way to approach the productivity issue. This has proven quite expensive, however, due to the costs associated with clean technologies and the modernization of the country’s energy infrastructure. Researchers suggest that better energy efficiency policies could be just as effective at increasing productivity while avoiding high costs of renewable energy adoption.
US can double energy production by 2030
Researchers suggest that the U.S. can double its energy production by 2030, primarily through the adoption of energy efficiency policies. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has issued recommendations concerning the matter, suggesting that energy efficiency policies could help boost the country’s economy significantly. According to researchers, better efficiency standards and practices could create more than one million new jobs throughout the country and help save homeowners and average of $1,000 a year on energy costs. Better efficiency standards can also help reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy efficiency policies could be coming in the future
The U.S. is unlikely to shift its focus away from developing new renewable energy systems, but the federal government has been growing increasingly interested in energy efficiency. The recommendations coming from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are expected to help the government formulate more robust energy efficiency policies, but these policies are not likely to be introduced until the end of 2013, at the earliest.