August 3, 2015 | Cliff Majersik

Contact:
Katie Weeks, 202-525-2883 x.306 / katie.weeks@imt.org
Chris Potter, 202-525-2883 x.311 / chris@imt.org

Statement of IMT Executive Director Cliff Majersik on EPA Final Rule on Existing Power Plants

"Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveiled the final version of its regulation to cut carbon pollution from the nation’s existing power plants by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. IMT welcomes the agency’s rule and urges states and utilities to take advantage of the many proven energy efficiency solutions to comply with it.

Energy efficiency remains the quickest, cleanest, and most cost-effective tool available to every state for cutting air pollution, saving energy, and avoiding power outages. Buildings spend over $400 billion on energy annually and use an overwhelming 76 percent of our country’s electricity, much of which escapes from leaky, poorly operated, and inefficient properties not built to modern energy codes. This sheds light on the potential energy and dollar savings for our homes, businesses, hospitals, and manufacturing facilities.

Energy efficiency policies and technologies not only offer tremendous potential to meet the Clean Power Plan targets, but also provide additional proven benefits. As President Obama and the EPA recognize, the savings reaped by energy efficiency create jobs that can’t be offshored, bolster local economies, and maintain healthy living and working environments for people across the country. To this point, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has estimated that if every state used four common energy efficiency policies as compliance strategies, we could create 611,000 jobs, reduce electricity demand by 25 percent, and avoid 600 million tons of carbon emissions.

IMT salutes the several cities and states already tapping into the vast opportunities offered by improved energy efficiency by implementing energy benchmarking and transparency policies, and adopting and enforcing strong energy codes. These leading jurisdictions are already on their way to hitting their targets under the EPA’s new rule. We look forward to many states following their lead in harnessing the power of energy efficiency for the benefit of their citizens."

ABOUT IMT: The Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization promoting energy efficiency, green building, and environmental protection in the United States and abroad. IMT's work addresses market failures that inhibit investment in energy efficiency and sustainability in the building sector. For more information, visit imt.org and follow us on Twitter at @IMT_speaks.

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