Indigo Journal

Report: Climate Legislation Would Save SC Families $308 per Year, Create 8,400 Jobs Annually

Posted on 09. Sep, 2009 by Tim Kelly in SC Politics

A new report released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) says that South Carolina households would save an average of $308 per year and that 84000 sustainable, jobs would be created in the state over the next ten years if Congress acts now to include strong energy efficiency improvements in energy and climate legislation.

  “It’s time to harness the power of American ingenuity to put thousands of people back to work and save South Carolinians money on their energy bills,” said Larry Newton, who has been certified by the Buildings Performance Institute as a Building Analyst Professional.  “By supporting stronger efficiency components as part of federal energy legislation, our senators can help our country toward energy independence and greater national security.”

The report also found that energy efficiency policies from the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), which passed the House of Representatives in June, would create 5,000 new jobs and annually save the average household $266 a year.

 “While the House bill is a critical first step in moving toward energy independence, this report shows we can save even more money and create more jobs through strong efficiency measures,” said Ann Timberlake, Executive Director of Conservation Voters of South Carolina.  “Senators DeMint and Graham should lead the fight for common sense energy efficiency policies and jump start the transition to a clean energy economy.”

ACEEE has called for policy improvements to the federal climate and energy bill that passed the House in June.  Their recommendations would generate more than 569,000 clean energy jobs and save the average household $283 per year nationwide by 2020. These policy improvements would result in 48 percent more jobs and 32 percent more consumer savings than the efficiency measures in the House bill.

“These innovative energy efficiency improvements are ready to go in real time, but need strong legislation that will ensure they’re widely put to use,” concludes Timberlake.  “We’re talking about using today’s technology to create a safer, stronger, more prosperous tomorrow.”