ATLANTA - A new report from researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and Duke University called “Energy Efficiency in the South” indicates that southern states have the potential to achieve significant efficiency improvements if the region implements policies to eliminate waste.

The report analyzes energy-efficiency improvements in three sectors: residential and commercial buildings and industry. The major findings are:

• Aggressive energy-efficiency initiatives in the South could prevent energy consumption in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors from growing over the next 20 years. In the absence of such initiatives, the study says energy consumption in these three sectors is forecast to grow by approximately 16 percent between 2010 and 2030.

• Fewer new power plants would be needed with a commitment to energy efficiency.

• Increased investments in energy efficiency would generate jobs and cut utility bills. According to the report, the public and private investments stimulated by energy-efficiency policies would deliver rapid and substantial benefits to the region.

• Energy efficiency would result in significant water savings. The study says the electricity generation that could be avoided by energy-efficiency policies in the South could in turn conserve significant quantities of fresh water consumed for cooling.

For a copy of the full report as well as individual state profiles, go to www.seealliance.org/programs/se-efficiency-study.php.

Publication date: 04/19/2010