Invisible Energy shows how efficiency could contribute will over a trillion dollars annually to economic growth.

How can such an immense number be demonstrated? As Invisible Energy shows, the National Academy of Sciences, along with other scientific and business organizations, has estimated that efficiency could produce 30 percent of the energy America would otherwise need by 2030, even if we limit efficiency options to those where the technology is already available and where the costs are lower than business as usual. We spend about a trillion dollars annually on energy; a figure that without efficiency investment would grow to about $1.5 trillion a year, even if energy costs don’t grow.

So a 30-percent savings is worth about $500 billion a year! And even better yet, the costs of efficiency investment pay themselves back on average in just three years.

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dgoldstein/americas_future_austerity_or_i.html

Cathy Zoi, DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, joins Clean Skies News to discuss the future of renewable energy and how speed and scale in energy efficiency can help us reach regulatory goals.

Dear Kathy, instead of talking, and saying nothing, why don't you come out publicly and back projects? Why don't you back Pickens' wind farm proposal? Why don't you back his proposed conversion to natural gas? Why don't you demand a 500% tariff on SUVs? Why don't you get serious?

I'm weary of the natural gas talk as fracturing to get it becomes popular and thats an environmental disaster as we type.

Appreciate comments. Costs of electric power plant per watt. (ball park)

Nukes $7.00

Wind $2.50 to $3.50

Solar PV $4.00 to $6.00

Solar Thermal $3.00

Natural Gas $1.50 to $2.50

Energy Efficiency in Buildings $0.50 to $0.75 per Watt

Pickens plan has good points. But why is he buying up millions of acres of water rights. Planning to make money on climate change, he he.

No doubt Pickens was in it for the money, but then who isn't. However, I believe he was going to make the most form the conversion to natural gas. By conversion, if I recall correctly, he wanted to convert all/most of the large trucks from diesel to natural gas. He'd stand to make a fortune...

I don't think they have a way to measure the cost of fracturing for gas. It polutes the aquifers and uses too much water. silly humans !