SEEING IS BELIEVING: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE UNITED STATES

The document highlights the cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency programs in the U.S., citing specific utility savings in Minnesota, New Mexico, and Arkansas, and economic projections for Massachusetts and Wisconsin. It advocates for scaling up federal appliance standards, updating building codes, and implementing financing mechanisms like PACE and green banks to increase adoption.

• Energy efficiency programs have delivered significant financial returns for utilities and customers: Xcel Energy in Minnesota reported direct savings exceeding expenditures by over fourfold in 2012, netting customers over $300 million. PNM in New Mexico found its 2013 program cost-effective with nearly $19 million in net savings, and Entergy Arkansas's 2013 portfolio yielded benefits more than twice the program costs.
• Energy efficiency investments provide broad economic and public health benefits, with Massachusetts potentially seeing $4 billion in net lifetime savings for residents. In Wisconsin, an efficiency program is projected to create over 6,000 new jobs and inject more than $900 million into the state economy over the next 10 years.
• The levelized cost of energy efficiency for utilities from 2009-2012 was between 2-5 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is approximately one-third to one-half the cost of new electricity sources. Additionally, state efficiency programs save consumers between $2 and $5 for every $1 invested.
• Federal appliance efficiency standards implemented since 2009 are projected to save consumers $450 billion in electric bills through 2030. Efficiency investments for states in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative are expected to add $1.6 billion in net economic value to the economy through 2021.
• Twenty-four states have established energy efficiency savings targets as a percentage of annual electricity sales, with targets ranging from less than 0.5% to over 2%.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). SEEING IS BELIEVING: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE UNITED STATES. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Seeing_is_Believing_Energy_Efficiency.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. SEEING IS BELIEVING: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE UNITED STATES. n.d. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Seeing_is_Believing_Energy_Efficiency.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=SEEING IS BELIEVING: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE UNITED STATES |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Seeing_is_Believing_Energy_Efficiency.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendseeing, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{SEEING IS BELIEVING: ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE UNITED STATES}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Seeing_is_Believing_Energy_Efficiency.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }