Report: Investment Case For Energy Efficiency In PA, EE Already Employs 66,000 People

AJW, Inc. Thursday released a report titled,“The Investment Case for Energy Efficiency,” which highlights energy efficiency’s economic benefits in Pennsylvania.  The report finds--

--  Energy efficiency accounts for nearly 80 percent of Pennsylvania’s clean energy economy, the largest of any sector, and employs over 66,000 workers at 5,900 clean energy companies in the state; and

-- Green residential and commercial construction will contribute at least $29 billion to Pennsylvania GDP between 2015-2018;

The report’s case studies of energy improvement projects-- East Stroudsburg University ($920,270 annual savings), Harrisburg Housing Authority ($10.8 million in savings), Dallas State Correctional Facility ($2.2 million in annual savings), U.S. Mint ($20.6 million in savings) and UPMC Children’s Hospital (LEED green building certification)-- provide examples of how third party-delivered energy efficiency results in significant savings to taxpayers and energy usage reductions at schools, state buildings, hospitals, correctional facilities, and public housing units in Pennsylvania.

A few of the projects featured in the report were implemented using energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs).

“ESPCs give schools and cities the opportunity to reach their energy conservation and sustainability goals while saving millions of dollars for taxpayers,” notes Trisha Knych, Vice-President of Government and Media Relations at Schneider Electric.

“ESPCs have resulted in tremendous infrastructure improvements,” adds Christine Keck, Director of Government Relations at Energy Systems Group (ESG). “Correctional facilities are turning to ESPCs as a means to overcome budget challenges in order to upgrade buildings and address deferred maintenance issues.

“Under the Pennsylvania Guaranteed Energy Savings Act, ESG has proudly implemented a $19.9 million project at the State Correctional Institution at Dallas,” explained Keck.  “The energy and infrastructure improvements will result in annual savings of $2.25 million over the 15-year term of the contract.”

“Green building is a major economic driver—playing a significant and growing role in the U.S. construction sectors. We see great potential for states to leverage building and infrastructure improvement projects to boost local economic activity and workforce, while achieving savings in energy and water,” said Heidi Kunka, Director of U.S. Green Building Council’s Central PA Chapter.

The report was published with the support of the Third Party-Delivered Energy Efficiency Coalition, a group of business and industry leaders that deliver ESPCs, industrial energy efficiency projects, and above-code building certification approaches, such as LEED.

A copy of the report is available online.

For more information on green building retrofits and new construction, the U.S. Green Building Council has 3 affiliates in Pennsylvania-- the Delaware Valley Green Building Council,  the U.S. Green Building Council’s Central PA Chapter and the Green Building Alliance in Pittsburgh.