The Potential of Energy Efficiency

From Potential to Action:  How New England Can Save Energy, Cut Costs,  and Create a Brighter Future with Energy Efficiency

By pursuing cost-effective energy efficiency measures, New England states can cut electricity consumption by about 20 percent by 2018.

Among other findings, NEEP's new report reveals that:

• Efficiency holds the potential to save about 31,800 gigaWatt-hours of electricity - equivalent to the annual output of about four large coal-fired power plants.

• The electricity saved could power  4 million homes for one year - about equal to the households in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont combined.

From Potential to Action demonstrates the real potential energy efficiency has to decrease the region's projected demand for electricity.

The report describes a clear set of steps that states can take to move from policy ideas to real savings for families and businesses. It also identifies industry sectors and products and applications in each state in the Northeast where the greatest reserves of efficiency lie, and it estimates the total economic and environmental benefits of maximizing the energy efficiency.

Download the full report
Download the executive summary

Download NEEP's presentation about the study

Read Appendix A of the study - Phase 1 Results

What experts are saying about From Potential to Action, NEEP's report on New England's electric energy efficiency potential:

"New England is essentially sitting on a giant reservoir of energy efficiency resources that have only begun to be tapped. This study provides a conservative estimate of the size of that resource and its value. We cannot afford to ignore this resource and the billions of dollars of wealth and hundreds of thousands of jobs we can reap by embracing this clean alternative - fully embracing energy efficiency is good for our environment, the budgets of our families and our economy."
-Seth Kaplan, Vice President for Policy and Climate Advocacy, Conservation Law Foundation

"Many of the New England states have historically led the nation in energy efficiency, as demonstrated by their ranking in ACEEE's Scorecard. Yet as NEEP points out in this report, the states have a long way to go in wringing the most out of the efficiency potential, and even risk back-sliding if policymakers fail to grasp and support efficiency as first-order resource."
-Steve Nadel, Executive Director, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

"While New Hampshire still has a long way to go to capture all cost-effective efficiency, the state has made important strides in terms of our energy policies in recent years. We see efficiency as central to building a more sustainable economy in the Granite State, advancing toward our climate goals, creating green jobs and helping to control energy costs for our residents and businesses. NEEP's report on New Hampshire's energy efficiency potential will certainly help guide the state as we move forward."
- Martha Fuller Clark, President Pro Tem, New Hampshire State Senate

"The NEEP report fills a valuable gap by quantifying the significant amount of energy efficiency that remains untapped in the region. As states make energy decisions, utilities, Public Utility Commissions and elected officials need to know how large and beneficial our efficiency capacity is and how much consumers, our economies and our environment will benefit by making efficiency the first fuel of choice in our region.
-Dan Sosland, Executive Director, Environment Northeast

"National Grid commends NEEP for this important and compelling report, From Potential to Action. As one of the nation's leading utility companies in delivering integrated efficiency programs for our customers, we look forward to working our partners across New England and New York to continue on the path of maximizing energy efficiency."
-Edward White, Vice President, Energy Products, National Grid

"Vermont is proud to be a leader in harnessing the power of energy efficiency, but as NEEP's potential study shows, there remains a great deal of cost-effective savings yet to be had. Importantly, this study includes in its recommendations a need for a significant ramp-up in funding for all-fuels energy efficiency programs. Particularly in New England, unregulated fuels such as heating oil and propane comprise a significant portion of energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Finding mechanisms to address all-fuels efficiency is a critical issue for policy-makers to address going forward."
-Blair Hamilton, Policy Director, Efficiency Vermont

"NEEP's New England efficiency potential study will be a valuable resource for the region's decision-makers. Tangible information sheds light on important conversations in all the states and will contribute to better discussions and better results. It contains the data and the rationale for how much farther we have to go with efficiency, and it presents a good set of tools for how states can move from potential to results."
-Richard Sedano, Director, the Regulatory Assistance Project

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