In the changing dynamic of energy resources, efficiency is playing a vital role. Even if political support for efficiency diminishes, its importance to the future of energy remains. A recent study highlights the significance of efficiency in one part of the country and its ability to decrease demand there.

In March, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released “Electricity Consumption and Peak Demand Scenarios for the Southeastern United States.” The study is a follow-up to one conducted last year in the Northeast.


With warmer weather, economic growth and less-aggressive energy-efficiency and distributed-energy policies than in the Northeast, the Southeast region offers an ideal geographic focus.


The study looks at five scenarios for the future of energy efficiency in the region: business as usual, accelerated, aggressive, hybrid, and high-energy-demand scenarios.


The study also factors in trends already affecting energy use in the region. These are the growth of solar and other forms of distributed generation, the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, the expanded use of electric heat pumps and the increasing use of demand-response programs.


The study examines all of these variables together and reaches different conclusions. Of note, the study finds that the aggressive scenario, in which all sources are pursued on an accelerated basis, has the greatest potential. In that scenario, electricity demand in the region can be stabilized until about the year 2030, giving energy planners enough time to prepare for future growth and avoid sharp increases to consumers to cover the costs of developing new resources.