Governors give industrial energy efficiency a boost
Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter (Idaho), Chairman of the Western Governors’ Association noted that industry consumes approximately 28 percent of the West’s total energy use, which is why incremental improvements in efficiency can have a large impact on reducing the region’s overall energy consumption.
Idaho Governor Butch Otter
BOISE, IDAHO – A two-day “Summit on Industrial Energy Efficiency” that wrapped up here today will result in the development of a number of recommendations for Western governors to consider in an effort to save energy and reduce costs.
Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter (Idaho), Chairman of the Western Governors’
Association, addressed the summit attendees on Wednesday. He noted that
industry consumes approximately 28 percent of the West’s total energy
use, which is why incremental improvements in efficiency can have a
large impact on reducing the region’s overall energy consumption.
“Energy
efficiency is the low hanging fruit in our energy orchard and we need
to aggressively pursue all reasonable cost-effective opportunities,”
Otter said. “By aggressively pursuing energy efficiency we free up
capacity on our transmission system and make more energy available to
help businesses expand.”
Otter said many states have programs that already have assisted industry in reducing energy use by 2 to 3 percent a year, resulting in a 10 to 15 percent savings over more than five years.
“We need to better understand which policies spur greater investments in energy efficiency, as well as those that may hinder progress,” he said.
Summit attendees participated in breakout sessions to develop recommendations for the governors to consider when they meet this June in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for their Annual Meeting.
You may view a video of Gov. Otter's remarks at http://gov.idaho.gov/mediacenter/video.html. Click on the video dated March 16, 2011.
