Energy efficiency saves air as well as money

February 10, 2012

Most Vermont residents know they can save money, stay warm and block bone-chilling breezes by taking a few simple steps to weatherize their homes each winter. Now a new report is pointing to another benefit of the strategy - preserving clean air.

By mandate of the Clean Air Act, a number of upcoming air regulations will soon impose limits on the emissions of multiple air pollutants, says the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Meeting those regulations could be expensive for states to meet if they tried to tackle them head on by developing new technologies for power generation and emissions filtering.

Fortunately, a simple solution may already exist. By applying an energy audit, replacing outdated appliances and selecting Energy Star-rated heating equipment, homeowners and business leaders could stop air pollution in its tracks, according to a new report from the group.

"Although energy efficiency is our cheapest, cleanest, and quickest energy resource, it has often been ignored as a strategy for compliance with air regulations," said ACEEE senior policy analyst Sara Hayes, the report's lead author. "But now the political, economic, and regulatory environments have aligned. We are on the threshold of a unique opportunity, a tipping point for energy efficiency."

Vermont business are already working toward that goal, as more than 60 companies have joined an "energy leadership challenge" organized by the nonprofit group Efficiency Vermont. Participants will try to achieve 7.5 percent energy savings at their facilities by June 30, 2013.