ACEEE PRESS BRIEF
BUSH-CHENEY ENERGY PLAN MISSES THE MARK ON
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
For further information, contact: Howard Geller or Steven Nadel at
202-429-8873
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2001
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As President Bush highlights energy
efficiency during the release of his new energy plan today, leading
energy efficiency experts are finding the Administration's support
for energy savings mostly talk and little action. "The Bush-Cheney
energy plan contains relatively few concrete proposals that will
save energy," stated Howard Geller, former Executive Director of the
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). "President
Bush has missed a golden opportunity to advance America's cleanest,
cheapest, fastest, and least controversial energy source–namely
increasing energy efficiency."
Specifically, the Bush-Cheney plan:
- does not propose
raising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards on new
cars and light trucks, but instead indicates this might be
considered at some later date;
- does not
reverse the rollback of air conditioner standards announced by
the Bush Administration last month or propose specific new
efficiency standards on other products;
- does not
provide greater funding for energy efficiency programs
conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy but instead maintains
the cut in energy efficiency research, development, and deployment
programs (apart from grants to low-income households) of $180
million (29%) recommended in the Administration's fiscal year 2002
budget request;
- does not include a
comprehensive set of tax incentives for energy-efficient
technologies including incentives for highly efficient appliances,
heating and cooling systems, new homes, and commercial buildings;
and
- does not contain any
proposals, such as a national system benefit trust fund, that
would help restore funding for energy efficiency programs that
have been reduced or eliminated by many states and utilities.
According to Steven Nadel, ACEEE Executive Director,
"The Bush-Cheney plan acknowledges the vital role that energy
efficiency played over the past 25 years and it includes a few
specific proposals that will improve energy efficiency. Tax
incentives for energy-efficient hybrid and fuel cell vehicles are
very helpful, as is the proposed tax change for combined heat and
power systems. But the plan fails to advance a complete set of
policies needed to stimulate cost-effective efficiency improvements
throughout the economy. If the plan included a full set of energy
efficiency initiatives, we would not need to drill for oil in
environmentally sensitive areas or build hundreds of new coal-fired
or nuclear power plants."
Geller added, "The plan clearly undervalues the role
that energy efficiency can and should play. Increasing energy
efficiency could do more to help consumers and businesses lower
their energy bills than anything in the Bush-Cheney plan. Increasing
energy efficiency also could do more to lower oil imports, reduce
the risk of power shortages in the short run, and decrease pollutant
emissions. And the policies needed to increase energy efficiency -
tougher efficiency standards; financial incentives for those
purchasing energy-efficient products; and expanded research,
development, and deployment programs - are strongly supported by the
public, unlike drilling for oil in environmentally sensitive areas
or building new coal-fired and nuclear power plants."
ACEEE's policy recommendations were requested by the
Cheney task force but were largely ignored. But many of these
recommendations are reflected in bills already introduced in the
Congress. Our recommendations, testimony, and fact sheets are
available on ACEEE's web site http://www.aceee.org/. Also, ACEEE
is a member of the Sustainable Energy
Coalition which has produced a scorecard rating the Bush/Cheney
plan on policies that would advance energy efficiency and renewable
energy. The scorecard is available at http://www.sustainableenergy.org/bush_report/scorecard.PDF.
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About ACEEE:The American Council
for an Energy-Efficient Economy is a non-profit organization
dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting
both economic prosperity and environmental protection. For
information about ACEEE and its publications, visit our home page on
the worldwide web at http://www.aceee.org/. |
