ACEEE Study

September 2008

A new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) documents huge benefits to Virginia from electrical energy efficiency programs.

The report, entitled Energizing Virginia: Efficiency First, concludes that the Commonwealth can meet close to 20 per cent of its electricity needs by 2025 through energy efficiency, a strategy that also would cut Virginians' utilities bills by $15 billion by 2025 and create nearly 10,000 new jobs--the equivalent of bringing almost 100 new manufacturing facilities to the state. And by reducing electricity use, Virginia can play its part in reducing global warming and contributing to a more sustainable environment.

Stephen Walz, Senior Advisor for Energy Policy to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, stated, "The Virginia Energy Plan, issued by Gov. Kaine last fall, called for Virginians to take all cost-effective energy conservation and efficiency actions as the first steps towards a more secure energy future. This comprehensive analysis of how energy efficiency can help meet the Commonwealth's electricity needs will help inform the Commonwealth's analysis of our opportunities for the most effective energy efficiency actions. I am pleased to accept this report and thank ACEEE and its sponsors for their hard work in developing their recommendations."

Complete copies of Energizing Virginia: Efficiency First can be found online at www.aceee.org/pubs/E085.htm.

The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club has created a two-page summary of the findings of the plan.