Full Title: Intelligent Efficiency: Achieving Clean Power Plan Goals
Author(s): Jason Ye
Publisher(s): Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
Publication Date: May 1, 2015
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Energy efficiency is the least-cost way for a state to meet its carbon reduction goals under the proposed Clean Power Plan. States are expected to include energy efficiency programs in their implementation plans that can reduce electricity end-use, minimizing cost impacts to all classes of consumers, including households, businesses, industry, and government.
Recent studies have suggested that the use of intelligent efficiency—a systems-based approach to energy efficiency that is enabled through the networking of efficient devices and sensors to facilitate more dynamic energy management—could reduce U.S. energy use 12 to 22 percent by 2020. Implementing these ICT solutions can significantly reduce energy use across many economic sectors while only marginally increasing direct energy use from the ICT sector.
Intelligent efficiency can help cities, states, businesses, and federal agencies be more sustainable while enhancing productivity. Yet ICT solutions face slow adoption due to such barriers as a lack of funding for investments, split incentives between multiple parties, and entrenched habits or organizational patterns. States and cities can play an active role in advancing the deployment of intelligent efficiency, especially through the Clean Power Plan.