Natural Gas Efficiency
Efficiency remains a resource of immense opportunity for the U.S. and the region. The Northeast states already are national leaders in their per capita energy efficiency, and the utilities in the region, electric and gas, have been active for years in efficiency programs.
Industry collaboratives such as GasNetworks in several Northeast states continue to provide innovative ideas for gas customers on new energy-efficient technologies and equipment.
In a January 2012 report, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released a report entitled "A National Review of Natural Gas Energy Efficiency Programs." It notes the following:
"Total funding for programs increased rapidly over the past several years. The amount that states budgeted for utility-sector natural gas energy efficiency programs increased from $125 million in 2005 to $942 million in 2010. Energy savings grew rapidly as well. Total annual savings from programs in 2005 were about 89 million therms. In 2010, annual savings reached 529 million therms."
As the ACEEE report notes, efficiency opportunities exist in multiple sectors: "While the roots of natural gas efficiency programs lie within residential markets, there are now programs serving multiple types of natural gas customers - from homeowners to large industries. There are opportunities for improved energy efficiency across the spectrum of customers and technologies using natural gas. Programs may target specific technologies that use natural gas, such as furnaces, water heaters, boilers, and cooking equipment, or they may target the systems and facilities that are served by natural gas technologies. Improving the thermal envelope of buildings is one example of programs that address whole buildings."
The 2011 annual ACEEE Scorecard for Energy Efficiency, which looks at both electric and natural gas programs, found that five Northeast states were in the top 10 in the U.S.: MA, NY, RI, VT and CT.
In 2010, about $1 billion was invested in natural gas efficiency programs nationwide, according to the ACEEE. Of that, $239 million - or almost one-fourth of the national total - was invested in several Northeast states (CT, MA, NH, NJ, NY, RI and VT).
These program investments - and energy savings - will grow even further in coming years.
Some useful links are below:
GasNetworks (www.gasnetworks.com)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (www.aceee.org)
Consortium for Energy Efficiency (www.cee1.org/)
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (www.neep.org)
Source: ACEEE, “2011 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard”, released October 2011 |
