The Alliance's founders Sens. Charles Percy (R-Ill.) and Hubert Humphrey (D-Minn.) at a press conference on the new coalition. 

March 18 marks a special day: 45 years ago, the Alliance to Save Energy was established as the nation’s leading advocate for energy efficiency. Founded by Sens. Charles Percy (R-Ill.) and Hubert Humphrey (D-Minn.) – lawmakers who believed in the power of energy efficiency to build a more secure and productive energy system – our coalition has transformed America’s relationship to its energy needs by championing policies and programs that do more, while using less. We recently published a blog on the history of energy efficiency that explored some defining moments from the past 45 years – but the outcomes truly speak for themselves. The enormous success of the energy efficiency movement over the past decades is evidenced by:

• More than doubling U.S. energy productivity since 1980, therefore decoupling economic growth from growth in energy consumption.
• Savings for the average household of $2,500 annually on their energy bills through policies and technologies that enabled efficiency gains.
• Growing the efficiency industry into one of the largest U.S. energy sectors, employing more than 2.1 million Americans in every state in the country.
• Keeping emissions today an incredible 60% lower than if we had failed to invest in energy efficiency.

These successes were made possible by the Alliance’s coalition-based efforts to advocate for efficiency policies, launch public awareness campaigns, and build partnerships with the private sector. But as much as I enjoy reflecting on our remarkable past, as president of the Alliance, I’m focused on what comes next.

Much as the past 45 years of Alliance history was spurred by the defining moment of the 1970s oil embargo, our next chapter will be underwritten by the task in front of us today: achieving the energy transition in a just way. The U.S. today is facing a complex web of challenges – rising energy prices, renewed questions around energy security, accelerating impacts of climate change, and recognition of the inequities inherent to how underserved communities interact with the energy system.

Energy efficiency cuts through this complexity. It is the solution we need to make the energy transition affordable, reliable, and equitable. Efficiency investments insulate households and businesses from swings in the energy markets, manage demand to minimize emissions and ensure sufficient supply, and – when targeted correctly – create economic opportunity in the communities who have been left behind.

The Alliance’s role is to get those investments in place where they are needed most, and on the scale and timeline required. With the support of our diverse coalition, we’re fighting for energy efficiency to be the central component of the next wave of U.S. energy policy – and we hope you’ll stay tuned for some exciting announcements ahead on our upcoming initiatives. We’ll also be diving into the details on how we can best meet this moment at our 15^th annual EE Global Forum, exploring the Defining Moments of Energy Efficiency on June 15 in Washington, D.C.  Join us by registering today.

I’m so proud to serve as president of this storied organization. I know we’re ready to meet this moment together – so let’s get to work and ensure the next chapter in energy efficiency’s history is even more impressive than the last.