Lawrence Public Library

Green savings, how policies and markets drive energy efficiency, Marilyn A. Brown and Yu Wang

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-272) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Green savings

bibliography

909883636

Marilyn A. Brown and Yu Wang

Energy resources, technology, and policy

how policies and markets drive energy efficiency

"This landmark work lauds the benefits of decreased energy consumption, investigating its relationship to public policy and analyzing its potential billion-dollar benefits to the U.S. economy. U.S. consumers tend to use energy indiscriminately--something they may no longer be able to do with impunity. This game-changing book asserts that reducing energy consumption should be a frontline strategy to address global climate change, threats to energy security, and the challenge of grid reliability. The book supports two bold arguments: that policies motivating greater investment in high energy efficiency should be a priority, and that energy efficiency can help the nation in times of crisis. To make their case for the necessity of prioritizing demand reduction, the authors examine the policies and markets operating in a number of leading cities, states, and nations across the globe to uncover the keys to their success. These examples show how demand-side strategies can significantly reduce pollution, cut costs, and make the electric grid more resilient. The authors explain why these technologies are not widely adopted and assess the potential savings they can produce. The book will be an eye-opener for policymakers, energy professionals, and the public as it demonstrates how cost-effective demand reduction policies can improve air quality, strengthen electricity markets, and generate jobs." -- Publisher's description

1. Introduction : The multiple motivations for energy efficiency ; The value of cross-disciplinarity ; The energy-efficiency gap ; The focus on electricity consumption by "end-users" ; The value of polycentric systems of policies ; International trends, challenges, and opportunities ; Questions and challenges addressed by this book ; Organization of this book -- 2. Energy-efficient technologies and practices: Today's portfolio and tomorrow's promise : How energy and electricity are currently used ; Technologies and practices for energy-efficient buildings ; Technologies and practices for energy-efficient industry ; Matching load to generation ; Estimating the levelized cost of electricity generation and savings ; Energy efficiency and carbon mitigation supply curves ; Conclusions -- 3. Obstacles to energy efficiency and the logic of policy design : Market failures and public interest rationales for public policy ; Market failures and barriers ; Non-energy benefits, costs, and drivers ; The logic of energy-efficiency policy design ; Conclusions -- 4. Energy-efficiency policies and programs in a maturing marketplace : A taxonomy of policy instruments ; Policy levers for energy-efficient buildings ; Policy levers for energy-efficient industry ; Integrating policy concepts ; Conclusions -- 5. Program evaluation and the need for new business models : Isolating the efficiency effect in energy intensity metrics ; Evaluating energy-efficiency programs and policies ; Measurement and verification of impacts ; Controlling for rival explanations ; Trade-offs and alternative views of success ; Integrating energy efficiency into the utility business model ; Conclusions -- 6. Follow the footprints: Leading and lagging states : Federal effort toward energy efficiency ; State performance on energy efficiency: A statistical analysis ; Lessons from leading and improving states ; Room for improvement ; Conclusions -- 7. Potential for the future : Technical, economic, and achievable potential ; Estimating the potential with energy modeling ; Policy supply curve for energy efficiency ; Policy supply curve for carbon abatement ; Comparison of global policy practices ; Conclusions -- 8. Policies and markets: Moving forward in unison ; The skeptics and the advocates ; Policy recommendations ; Looking to the future