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KUFM Commentary - June 2009 --------------------------------------------------------- "Efficiency and Community as Energy Solutions" Do you know where America's largest supply of domestic energy has come from since the oil embargo in 1973? It's not coal or natural gas. I'll give you a hint: it ranks as the cheapest, cleanest, and fastest form of energy to develop. Hydroelectric? Nope. Wind? Huh-uh. Biofuels? No again. Nuclear? No way. The answer: a resource that sounds too good to be true, energy efficiency. In a way, that was a trick question, efficiency doesn't directly increase the supply of available electrons the same way a wind generator or coal fired power plant does. On the other hand, efficiency frees up electrons that would otherwise be wasted so those electrons can technically be seen as a new source of energy. Efficiency means getting the same output using fewer inputs, reducing waste, and decreasing costs. It is represented by improved appliances that require a fraction of the electricity to keep food cold or wash clothes, it's things like sealing leaky heating ducts, buying a smaller car, and better insulating our homes and office buildings. For example, the Butte School District recently invested $550,000 to make their lighting systems more efficient. Northwestern energy, realizing the value of efficiency as a resource provided a rebate of $120,000 for the project. The upgrades have resulted in estimated annual savings of over $115,000 a year. This means the project will pay for itself in approximately 3.5 years with a return on investment of over 20%. If energy efficiency really does have so many economic and environmental benefits, what's preventing further adoption of this valuable resource? The short answer is inertia. Mountains of data and countless real world examples have shown us that air sealing and insulating our attics and basements will result in lower utility bills, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and make our homes more comfortable. Yet, the vast majority of Montanans live in homes that are still heating the neighborhood, and still leaking money, because it's easier to simply turn up the thermostat than add insulation. Well, the age of abundant energy is coming to a close. The danger of carbon-based fossil fuels is finally being recognized, and the difficult task of replacing our entire dinosaur-driven energy system with renewable energy is just beginning to rear its head. As we transition to appropriately-scaled solar, wind, and biofuels, efficiency must be recognized as the first tool in addressing our energy problems. Making the shift towards energy efficiency seems obvious but, like any meaningful transformation, it is not without its difficulties. There's that inertia to get over. AERO, Montana's Alternative Energy Resources Organization is a long-time proponent of community-driven change and we think Montana will be quicker to adopt efficiency as a priority with a community-based approach. With the support of partner organizations in Helena and Bozeman, AERO has initiated a pilot project to help Montanans move from thinking about the benefits of energy efficiency to realizing those benefits in their homes and communities. Drawing on the success of AERO's previous grassroots programs we have initiated the Neighborhood Conservation Club project, an effort to help move Montanans to action in order to reduce our collective energy consumption. Neighborhood Conservation Clubs are actually the combination of two old ideas: they're part book club and part barn-raising. The book club part is a conversation about energy conservation and efficiency and the barn raising part is about getting your neighbors to help seal the leaks where your plumbing goes through the attic. AERO's role in all this is just to get you started: on our Energy page you'll find technical guides to reducing energy usage and suggestions for how to organize a neighborhood meeting and work party. You'll also find listings of seminars and tours when they come up, on everything from sealing the leaks around light fixtures to identifying a good site for a solar panel. However, many of the participants have discovered that one of the most significant resources members of the Conservation Clubs can utilize is one another. And very likely, the most significant impact from these clubs won't be the kilowatt hours of electricity saved but the connections people make with their neighbors. Making the changes that are necessary to stop climate change and transition through the end of abundant energy is not easy, but many are learning it is made easier by working with our neighbors. I'm Dan Lloyd serving with AmeriCorps/VISTA for the Alternative Energy Resources Organization. AERO is a grassroots, member-supported nonprofit that's been building communities by linking people with sustainable agriculture and energy solutions for 35 years.
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