Yesterday there was this nice letter from Enviro groups to President Obama complaining about all-of-the-above energy policy. A bit late, but good on them for sending it. Yet....
Notice how analysis of the letter and policy options just talks about energy supply? It's fossil fuel this vs. renewables that. What's missing is serious attention to current and potential levels of energy consumption. Demand drives the quest for supply. Fossil fuels are the biggest slice of our energy supply pie and nukes are a significant portion. Hydro is a fixed, perhaps dwindling, slice. Renewables, while growing, are still small relative to the whole pie. Can renewables go from zero to sixty lickety-split? Maybe, but highly unlikely in a Boehner/Ryan/Koch Bros./corporate-greed-dominated policy environment. Where, then, can the Exec Branch and climate-caring interest groups turn?
Efficiency. Our nation's buildings hemorrhage energy via the vast installed base of old technology. Despite Luddites who want to roll back the efficient light bulb policy begun under Bush II, it's not that hard to make progress at reducing wasteful consumption. Buildings automation technology (motion sensors, photo sensors), energy-efficient buildings parts technology (lighting, HVAC, appliances, envelope), and efficient buildings design & operation practices (daylighting, commissioning, monitoring) have enormous potential to flatten the demand curve. Think of it as "rightsizing" the load. Lowering consumption by adapting to advances in buildings end-use energy technology and prioritizing efficiency produces immediate savings and helps justify costs of renewables. It's the first step in getting to Zero Net Energy (ZNE).
Of course, renewables are essential. You can't get to ZNE without them. But you can't run a successful renewables-driven ZNE strategy without efficiency. Efficiency is the cheapest and easiest way to cut down on carbon emissions. It's also key to cost savings, increased grid reliability, improved productivity and national security.
The House of Representatives cannot realistically interfere with enlightened day-to-day management of public buildings. The Executive Branch can instruct an efficiency-first strategy throughout its span of control. Elected representatives can promote efficiency-first via the Bully Pulpit. Enviro groups can raise public consciousness about buildings end-use energy efficiency.
Yet few voices in the climate chorus are calling for efficiency. Those voices go straight to renewables as though renewables are dirt-cheap (they aren't), ubiquitous (they're not) and abundantly shovel-ready such that they can immediately replace fossil fuels and nukes altogether (they can't). Renewables-first is sexy and fun instead of tedious and boring. Who wants to talk about improved air handling equipment when you can extoll the virtues of solar panels? But that's like going straight to dessert without eating your vegetables.
There are a few groups out there doing great work as regards efficiency; groups like the Alliance to Save Energy and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy among others. Proponents of climate-friendly energy policy would be well-advised to heed their advice.