Why Improve Energy Efficiency?

Here’s an incredible fact: In 2012, United States oil usage was lower than in 1973. Another factoid: Energy use in the United States has been dropping since 2007, and last year’s total was below the 1999 level, even though the economy grew by more than 25% from 1999 to 2013, adjusted for inflation.

The trend amongst American energy usage is unmistakable. We use way less energy to produce a dollar’s worth of goods than we used to. According to a recent New York Times article, “The amount of oil we use in our vehicles, homes and businesses continued to decline last year, down 14 percent from a peak in 2005…the main reason is that we are demanding better mileage from our vehicles and driving them less.”

Improvements in energy efficiency have followed tightening efficiency standards for buildings, equipment, and vehicles. As our government continues to tighten regulations on energy usage, our efficiency will continue to increase. There are many benefits to this strategy:

• Less of the nation’s GDP is spent on energy consumption.
• Per capita, United States citizens are able to decrease their environmental impact.
• Politicians are better able to navigate energy and security policy with less of a reliance on foreign oil.

As more varied sources of energy become available (including renewables like solar and wind), we believe energy efficiency will play an even more crucial role. Adoption of new energy resources will depend upon efficient usage of energy. Efficient homes and business are a huge priority. We are excited to participate in the increased efficiency of our nation’s homes.