International Energy Agency Releases 'Energy Efficiency Market Report'
PARIS — A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) said energy-efficiency markets around the world drew investments of up to $300 billion in 2011, on par with global investments in renewable energy or fossil-fuel power generation.
“Energy efficiency has been called a ‘hidden fuel’, yet it is hiding in plain sight,” said Maria van der Hoeven, IEA executive director, as she presented the report at the World Energy Congress in Korea. “Indeed, the degree of global investment in energy efficiency and the resulting energy savings are so massive that they beg the following question: Is energy efficiency not just a hidden fuel but rather the world’s first fuel?”