Strategies for Acting on Climate: Energy Efficiency
The United States needs to make major changes as we fight the threat of climate change. New Jersey is vulnerable to extreme weather like Hurricane Sandy, which threaten to take out our infrastructure and housing. The Shore is especially vulnerable to increased flooding from rising sea levels. New Jerseyans across the state will suffer as rising temperatures bring heat waves that will push summer highs above 100 degrees. We need to use a combination of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize the impacts of climate change. One powerful tool in our arsenal is energy efficiency. By reducing energy usage in buildings and homes, we can achieve major emissions reductions quickly and within existing facilities. Energy efficiency in buildings provides a triple benefit: the environment, public health, and job prospects all see improvements through energy efficiency programs. Strategies to implement energy efficiency in buildings take on many forms. They include programs such as installing efficient lighting, HVAC, and other appliances; insulating homes and repairing leaky windows; and using smart controls to turn off lights and heating when no one’s home. New Jersey is already seeing the benefits of these programs: on average, residents saved an average of $536 per [...]