(PHILADELPHIA) – In honor of the first annual Energy Efficiency Day (October 5, 2016), the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) is joining thousands of organizations, companies, and individuals nationwide applauding the vital and wide-ranging contributions energy-saving programs and policies have made and continue to make in the U.S. Research has indicated that ramping up energy efficiency could spare the country from having to build 487 large power plants over the next 14 years. Already, energy efficiency has prevented the need for 313 large plants.
Energy efficiency remains the most efficient power resource available. As a result of sound state policy, Pennsylvania has already made significant, forward-thinking investments in energy savings, benefiting customers and growing the energy efficiency industry in the state.
Known as Act 129, the energy efficiency and conservation programs run by Pennsylvania’s utilities are credited with supporting tens of thousands of Pennsylvania jobs while helping state businesses and residents save energy and save money on utility bills.
“Over the course of eight years, Act 129 has grown Pennsylvania’s energy efficiency economy into an industry that now employs 53,000 workers spread across all 67 counties in the Commonwealth. That’s certainly cause for celebration on Energy Efficiency Day,” said Matt Elliott, Executive Director of the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA), a trade association representing 50 companies working in Pennsylvania’s energy efficiency industry.
Jobs in the energy efficiency industry include construction workers, engineers, manufacturing line workers, scientists, product developers, researchers, and many other professions. Many of the companies are small to medium-sized businesses, while others are large national and multi-national corporations that were attracted to Pennsylvania because of Act 129’s program offerings.
“Act 129 is an example of good policy that benefits all Pennsylvanians while driving job growth,” said J.R. Tolbert, Vice President of State Policy at Advanced Energy Economy. “Over the past ten years, the energy efficiency industry in PA has grown an average of 7.3% per year, or an average of 3,900 jobs per year. As a result, we’re retrofitting more homes and businesses to help them save energy and save money. We’re engineering our new building stock to be more efficient than ever. And we’re developing state of the art energy-saving products and devices here in Pennsylvania.”
“Every year, more and more Pennsylvanians earn a good living in the energy efficiency industry,” concluded Elliott. “Protecting our successful energy efficiency policies is a proven way for lawmakers to stand alongside these workers, grow our economy, and cut constituents’ energy bills.”
To learn more about KEEA’s energy efficiency efforts, visit www.keealliance.org,or join the conversation on Twitter at #EEDay2016.