Improving the consistency of energy efficiency data: A landscape of decision makers and policy needs

The fact sheet highlights the need for consistent energy efficiency data across the U.S. to support decision-makers in grid planning, finance, and regulatory compliance. It maps various drivers for harmonization—ranging from integrated resource planning to the Clean Air Act—and identifies existing initiatives like the Regional Energy Efficiency Database (REED) and the Uniform Methods Project that aim to standardize definitions and reporting formats.

• Demand-side management (DSM) programs are expanding across the United States, with budgets exceeding $8 billion in 2011 and implementation occurring in every state.
• While DSM programs are thoroughly evaluated at the jurisdictional level, the lack of consistent evaluation methods and reporting practices limits their utility for national energy and climate policy-making.
• Harmonizing DSM data would provide specific benefits across several policy areas: it would allow for the integration of energy efficiency into grid planning to displace GHG-emitting generation, unlock lower-cost private finance for efficiency investments, and enable the U.S. EPA to allow states more flexibility in implementing Clean Air Act GHG regulations.
• The Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP) is implementing the Regional Energy Efficiency Database (REED) to make program data from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states more comparable and accessible.

APA

Laughlin, K., & Zuckerman, J. (2012). Improving the consistency of energy efficiency data: A landscape of decision makers and policy needs. Climate Policy Initiative. http://climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Improving-Consistency-of-Energy-Efficiency-Data.pdf

Chicago

Laughlin, Karen, and Julia Zuckerman. Improving the consistency of energy efficiency data: A landscape of decision makers and policy needs. Climate Policy Initiative, 2012. http://climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Improving-Consistency-of-Energy-Efficiency-Data.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Laughlin |first1=Karen |last2=Zuckerman |first2=Julia |title=Improving the consistency of energy efficiency data: A landscape of decision makers and policy needs |publisher=Climate Policy Initiative |date=November 2012 |url=http://climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Improving-Consistency-of-Energy-Efficiency-Data.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{laughlin2012improving, author = {Laughlin, Karen and Zuckerman, Julia}, title = {{Improving the consistency of energy efficiency data: A landscape of decision makers and policy needs}}, institution = {Climate Policy Initiative}, year = {2012}, month = nov, url = {http://climatepolicyinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Improving-Consistency-of-Energy-Efficiency-Data.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }