Governments, businesses, and individuals will be spending trillions of dollars to modernize our nation’s infrastructure. From smart energy grids and transportation networks to new boilers and air conditioners, action is needed to enable the deployment of the most efficient technologies to increase energy productivity across the economy.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Inspire Innovation

• Create a “Race to the Top” style energy productivity competition for states and communities.
• Incentivize innovation and adoption of best practices by state and local governments based on energy productivity improvements, increased effectiveness of efficiency codes and programs, transportation infrastructure investments, and regulatory reform. States would receive technical assistance and funding based upon policy and regulatory reforms like those recommended by the Commission.

Reform Regulation

• Adopt utility policies that make full use of energy efficiency. State policies may include broad and targeted savings goals, financial incentives, time-variant customer rates, fair treatment of combined heat and power and other distributed resources, and harmonized program evaluation.
• Advance regional and local transportation and land use plans that promote energy productivity by improving access to work, services, school, and play, and by increasing transportation options including safe walking, biking and mass transit. Direct funding and technical assistance to enable efficient development patterns and transportation infrastructure consistent with the regional and local plans.
• Use energy efficiency as an emissions reduction strategy in environmental regulations.
• Focus major government and regulated infrastructure spending on energy grids, transportation infrastructure, and water and waste systems to achieve large energy productivity gains.

Strengthen Standards

• Steadily and aggressively increase the stringency of building energy codes, with quick adoption and effective compliance measures.
• End current delays and update federal appliance and equipment, vehicle, and manufactured housing efficiency standards to maximum technologically feasible and economically justified levels.