Efficiency First

Van Jones on the Energy Efficiency Revolution

White House green jobs adviser makes the case for “humble and hardworking solutions”

For those of us who work in the Home Performance industry, the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency retrofitting have long been clear. Now, the “reduce, then produce” message is making significant inroads in mainstream America as well. One of the more eloquent proponents of efficiency retrofitting is Van Jones, a special adviser to the White House Council on Environmental Quality, whose pioneering work providing green-collar job training for minority workers prompted Time magazine to name him one of its 2008 “Environmental Heroes.”

In a recent editorial in the Las Vegas Sun, Jones succinctly and convincingly lays out the argument for putting Americans to work implementing cost-effective efficiency measures that will provide immediate benefits while we wait for long-term investments in renewable energy generation to bear fruit:

The enthusiasm for tomorrow’s technologies sometimes overlooks the practical solutions being deployed today, but the recovery package is also making sure humbler technologies — such as caulking guns, insulation, high-performance boilers and high-performance windows — are being deployed across America. These humble and hardworking solutions create jobs and save money for Americans, right now.

A quiet yet powerful energy efficiency revolution is well under way. The president’s central insight is straightforward: By retrofitting and improving American buildings to waste less energy, we can save Americans billions of dollars in energy costs. At the same time, we can create jobs and reduce the strain on our nation’s power grid. Reducing the load on our coal-fired power plants would, in turn, cut air pollution — letting our kids and seniors breathe a little easier.

Additionally, retrofitting American homes will enhance their value — energy-efficient homes should be more valuable than drafty ones. In other words, an aggressive program to retrofit America will create more work, more wealth and better health for many Americans.

Read the full editorial at http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jul/13/small-steps-energy-will-add.