Reported by CEN Staff

Boulder – Aggressively pursuing energy efficiency is a winning strategy for Colorado’s workers, according to a new report released today by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). The report finds that increasing the efficiency of electricity, natural gas, and gasoline use would lead to a net increase of 4,660 jobs in Colorado by 2015 and 11,600 jobs by 2025.
 
“Energy efficiency improvements to new and existing homes, businesses and vehicles would put people to work throughout the state,” said Howard Geller, Executive Director of SWEEP and co-author of the report. “It is well-established that energy efficiency improvement benefits consumers by lowering utility and fuel bills, and benefits the environment by cutting pollution from energy production and consumption. This new study shows that workers and the state’s economy will benefit as well,” Geller added.  
 
Energy Efficiency and Job Creation in Colorado examines the impacts that implementing the key energy efficiency initiatives in Governor Ritter’s Colorado Climate Action Plan would have on employment and income in the state. These include expanding electric and gas utility energy efficiency programs, updating and enforcing state-of-the-art building energy codes, and adopting the Clean Car Standards first approved in California and subsequently adopted by 13 other states. 
 
“With Colorado and the nation experiencing a severe recession, it is important to adopt new policies that will help the unemployed get back to work,” said Colorado Representative Claire Levy. “Passing House Bill 1323, which requires rural electric cooperatives to implement energy efficiency programs for their customers, is one step the legislature can take to help Colorado move out of the recession. This legislation will not only save consumers and businesses tens of millions of dollars, it will also result in more jobs in the state,” Levy noted.
 
Energy Efficiency and Job Creation in Colorado shows that new jobs are supported as energy efficiency measures are produced and installed, as well as when households and businesses cut their energy bills and then spend their savings on other goods and services. The services, retail trade, and construction sectors are the segments of the economy that gain the most jobs according to SWEEP’s new report.
 
“A number of the energy efficiency policies in Governor Ritter’s Climate Action Plan are being implemented due to state or federal legislation. But some have not been implemented or are only partially implemented. Fully implementing all of the energy efficiency initiative in the Plan, including passing House Bill 1323, will maximize the job gains in the state,” Geller said.

Other key findings in Energy Efficiency and Job Creation in Colorado:

• Increasing the energy efficiency of our homes, workplaces and vehicles could raise salaries and wages in the state by more than $100 million per year in the near term and $440 million per year by 2025.
• Fully implementing the energy efficiency initiatives would reduce electricity use by nearly 26 percent in 2025 relative to electricity use in a baseline scenario.
• Fully implementing the energy efficiency initiatives would reduce natural gas use by 18 percent in 2025 relative to natural gas use in a baseline scenario.
• The combination of higher federal fuel efficiency standards and adopting the Clean Car Standards in Colorado would reduce gasoline use 22 percent in 2025 relative to gasoline use in a baseline scenario. 

Energy Efficiency and Job Creation in Colorado was prepared by SWEEP with assistance from Marshall Goldberg, an economist with MRG and Associates, Nevada City, CA. Funding for the study was provided by the Energy Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, and Edwards Mother Earth Foundation. 
 
The full report  is available on the SWEEP website at www.swenergy.org/pubs/.  The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project is a private not-for-profit organization promoting greater energy efficiency in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. For more information, see www.swenergy.org.