Energy Efficiency Spotlight

The Energy Future Coalition is encouraging states to change their utility rules to drive improvements in energy efficiency. Here is a spotlight on our work with Maryland.

Changing the Rules

Governor Martin O'Malley recently signed into law legislation that requires a 15% reduction in per-capita electricity use by 2015, one of the most ambitious electricity efficiency targets in the country.

The Energy Future Coalition worked with the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), advocacy groups, and businesses to design the legislation and highlight the importance of improving energy efficiency in Maryland. EFC organized 25 important signers (who together represent almost 200 Maryland businesses) in a letter of support for the EmPOWER strategy.

"It's important to change the light bulbs, but it's much more important to change the laws."

--Al Gore

The legislation will help Maryland address high and increasing consumer utility costs, a looming imbalance between electricity supply and demand, and the state's climate goals. The benefits of energy efficiency for Maryland were highlighted in an opinion piece written by Executive Director Reid Detchon and published in a special supplement to the Washington Post.
Read it here.

When EmPOWER Maryland is successfully implemented, it will:

Generate $5.7 billion in total electricity savings for Maryland households (ACEEE Report on Maryland February 2008);
Save 10 billion kWh of electricity in 2015, which is enough to power one-third of Maryland's homes that year;
Avoid the need to build at least three new large power plants, reducing the state's carbon footprint and saving billions of dollars in new costs;
Add 8,000 new green collar jobs to the Maryland economy by 2015 (ACEEE Report on Maryland February 2008). This is the equivalent of 100 new manufacturing plants relocating to Maryland, without the costs for infrastructure; and
Relieve the state's looming transmission capacity crisis.

The Energy Future Coalition will be working in the coming months to ensure that the law is implemented effectively.

More about the Energy Future Coalition's efficiency program >