Demand-Side Energy Management Programs are a Growing Segment of the Energy Industry and the National Economy

- Funding has increased for energy efficiency programs, which has reduced dependence on fossil fuels

- Total consumer savings estimated annually at $9.7 billion in electric and gas costs

- Sector faces a workplace shortage

- Annual State of the Industry Report released by the Association of Energy Services Professionals at national conference

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Energy-saving programs that are administered by utilities are a rapidly growing sector of the demand-side management industry and comprise a growing sector of the economy that measurably reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and save consumers money, according to a report by the Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) released today.

"Demand-side management has matured considerably in the past two decades," said Meg Matt, AESP President and CEO. "Energy efficiency is a growing, but little understood sector of the energy industry, and the national economy that actually faces a workplace shortage."

The Annual State of the Industry report was released today at the AESP National Conference in Orlando and included several key findings:

• Energy efficiency funding remains robust and continues to increase substantially in both the US and Canada. The combined total of energy efficiency program budgets for ratepayer funded electric and gas programs reached nearly $6.1 billion in 2009, up from $4.5 billion in 2008.
• Electric utility programs constitute the largest portion of energy efficiency budgets, increasing 80 percent since 2006
• Funding for natural gas programs has doubled in both the U.S. and Canada in the past few years. Natural gas programs are currently in place in 46 states and eight Canadian provinces. The total 2009 gas program budgets exceeded $1 billion for utilities in the US and Canada. US gas budgets have nearly quadrupled since 2006 to more than $900 million, while Canadian gas budgets have grown by 75 percent since 2007 to more than $90 million.
• These energy efficiency programs have led to substantial reductions in both energy usage and carbon emissions. These savings include reductions of more than 104,900 GWh of electricity and 367 million therms of gas. The avoided cost benefits of these programs were more than 61 million metric tons of CO2, and ratepayer savings of more than $9.7 billion in electric and gas costs.  
• Despite the robust growth in savings, the energy efficiency industry still faces a severe workforce shortage. One paradox of the growing energy efficiency industry is that while it is regarded as an important low-cost, environmentally benign resource, the industry itself is still not distinct or well-defined.  This will continue to be an ongoing challenge for the energy efficiency industry.
• Energy efficiency programs are in place targeting all customer sectors. There has been an increase in interest among commercial building owners in green energy building programs. Another result of the increased emphasis on energy efficiency, corporate executives have also reported an increased level of green building since 2006, according to a recent study published by McGraw-Hill (2010).  
• Homebuilders also have an increased interest in adopting green building codes, which have been supported by a combination of utility incentives and new residential and commercial building code requirements.
• Energy efficiency continues to remain a focus for most of the U.S. states, with Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Alaska demonstrating the most progress, according to ACEEE's State Scorecard.
• California has retained its #1 ranking for the fourth year in a row, outpacing all other states in its level of investment in energy efficiency across all sectors of its economy.
• As the industry continues to grow and expand, there has been increased interest in "Best Practices" for program design, implementation, and evaluation. These best practices have been well-documented by the natural gas utilities in both Canada and the U.S.

The Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP, www.aesp.org) provides professional development programs, a network of energy practitioners, and promotes the transfer of knowledge and experience. Our members work in the energy services industry and represent electric and natural gas utilities, public benefits associations, regulatory and non-profit entities, vendors, manufacturers and consulting firms. Founded in 1989, AESP is a member-based association dedicated to improving the delivery and implementation of energy efficiency, energy management and distributed renewable resources. AESP provides professional development programs, a network of energy practitioners, and promotes the transfer of knowledge and experience.

SOURCE Association of Energy Services Professionals