Clean Energy In the News

Despite rising costs, Texans aren't being as careful as they could be and should be when it comes to conserving our precious and finite energy resources. The latest report released by the American Council on an Energy Efficient Economy ranks Texas 23rd in the nation for programs to promote energy efficiency, a drop from the previous year's rank of 19th.

What does this mean to you? It means there's more each of us could be doing as individuals and in the workplace to cut energy expenditures without really sacrificing comfort or convenience. "Energy efficiency programs have been enormously successful in Texas, but we've barely scratched the surface of our potential," said Luke Metzger of Austin, director of Environment Texas, a statewide, non-profit advocacy group.

In 1999, Texas became the first state in the nation to establish an energy efficiency resource standard, focusing on programs such as home energy audits, weatherization programs, and switching out incandescent lighting for compact fluorescents. The law was so successful that, in 2007, the Texas Legislature passed HB 3693 to double the energy-saving mandate by 2010. Authored by then-state Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, who went on to become our new House speaker, the law also directed the Public Utility Commission to study whether increasing the program even more was technically possible.

In a December 2008 report, the PUC found vast potential for energy efficiency in Texas which, if tapped, could save Texans as much $11.9 billion on their electric bills.

Why should we wait? Here are a few tips to start saving now:

Paint the walls of your home a light color. Dark colors tend to absorb light, requiring you to use more energy from light bulbs to achieve the same effect.

A dishwasher that is 90 percent full uses four units of electricity. If it is only 50 percent full, it still uses three units. Fill the dishwasher to save on your electric bill.

Buy a water heater blanket and keep your water heater insulated. You'll save up to $40 per year.

Replacing an incandescent bulb with an energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulb can save up to $50 over the bulb's lifetime.

Up to 16 percent of your heat can escape through unprotected windows. Close your drapes at night to retain heat.

Cleaning or replacing furnace and air conditioner filters once a month will ensure proper air flow, increase efficiency, and save money too.

While legislative efforts are commendable, we don't need a law put on the books to tell us to conserve our energy resources. We can do it ourselves at little or no cost.