The need to develop more efficient ways to use energy has never been more obvious than it is today. It is a way to save money, decrease pollution, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Amid rising prices for automobile and home heating fuel, as well as the instability in the Middle East and Venezuela, it is clear that we need to take steps to conserve energy. I was honored to be elected recently as Vice Chair of the Alliance to Save Energy, the leading advocacy group in America dedicated to promoting energy efficiency. The Alliance is an unusually influential organization, and its membership includes policymakers, business leaders, and environmental groups. It plays a critical role in promoting efficiency and educating both lawmakers and citizens about the benefits of more sensible energy use. Recognizing that greater efficiency is the cheapest, quickest, and easiest way to save energy, the Alliance has played a leading role in several conservation programs. For example, the Alliance is working to promote the Energy Star label, a joint project between the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Products carrying the Energy Star label meet the government's efficiency standards and help consumers save energy and money, while at the same time reducing pollution. The Alliance has produced a number of public service announcements for television and it has also developed a program that educates children about saving energy by showing them how to implement energy-saving measures in their own schools. The Alliance carried out important research and investigations, such as Leading By Example, a ground-breaking 1998 report on energy waste in the federal government. That report led to much stricter rules on energy use in federal facilities. I plan to work with the Alliance to develop a National Energy Policy that improves our energy security, reduces emissions, and saves consumers money. Part of this should include tax incentives that will encourage homeowners and homebuilders, businesses, public and private institutions, and other consumers to make use of the many different kinds of energy efficient products on the market, from refrigerators to windows to automobiles. Furthermore, I want to continue to improve the energy efficiency of the federal government, the world's largest consumer of energy. We can save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars every year by improving the government's efficiency. Simple initiatives like switching to more efficient light bulbs in federal buildings would make a big difference, and in these difficult economic times, cutting down on wasteful uses of taxpayer money is especially important.
Finally, I want to help the Alliance to educate citizens in their everyday lives about the benefits of improved energy use, and that's a large part of why I'm writing. You should know that the Alliance to Save energy can help you and your neighbors save money on energy bills while at the same time cutting pollutants and doing your part to strengthen our national security. The Alliance's website – www.ase.org – has a wealth of information to help homeowners lower their bills.
Here are some tips that can get you started:
• Replace the four light bulbs in your home that you use most with compact flourescent bulbs. They use much less energy, last longer, and cause less air pollution.
• Install a programmable thermostat. This allows you to shut down the heat in your home automatically while you're out during the day, and still come home to a cozy and warm house after work.
• Buy appliances, home electronics, and building components like windows and insulation that have the Energy Star label.
Every day, science and technology bring us new achievements, many of which benefit our industry and productivity. It is time that we put our dedication and know-how to use to raise our energy productivity. There is no reason to spend more money to get less, to bury ourselves further in the embrace of foreign oil barons, while contributing to the dirtying of our air. Looking ahead, I hope and expect that in the years to come we will be able to enjoy more fuel-efficient cars, such as the hybrid vehicles that are twice as efficient as regular gasoline vehicles, and that our energy use as a nation can match the innovation that has marked the rest of our economy.
Mainers have a particular obligation to preserve nature's bounty, which we enjoy in such abundance. As a state, we can be proud of the innovation and leadership we have shown in promoting energy efficiency. But the benefits of energy efficiency – cutting pollution, cutting our bills, and cutting our dependence on foreign oil – are too important to take for granted. There is more that each and every one of us can do and we need to start today.