August 27, 2003—A new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) examines the use of energy efficiency as a Clean Air Act compliance tool in the emissions trading system that emerged from the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The ACEEE concludes that as Congress currently contemplates action on multi-pollutant legislation, it should include energy efficiency as a compliance option. If not, Americans will pay needlessly high costs for cleaner air.
“A clean air bill without energy efficiency ignores history, ties the hands of industry, and costs more than it needs to,” said Bill Prindle, ACEEE Deputy Director. “More than a decade of experience at the federal and state levels shows that energy efficiency is a proven air quality compliance option. Congress should include efficiency in any multi-pollutant bill it considers.”
The report, which reviews the experience of energy efficiency as a compliance mechanism under Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, summarizes lessons learned from that program and offers recommendations for future multi-pollutant policies. Energy Efficiency and Emissions Trading: Experience from the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 for Using Energy Efficiency to Meet Air Pollution Regulations can be downloaded for free from the ACEEE.
