DRILLING for oil and building nuclear power stations, as the Bush
administration wants to do, is not the only way to boost US energy supplies,
according to a report commissioned by Congress. The study shows that a small
investment in energy efficiency research can produce huge returns.
Three energy-efficiency programmes costing the government about $11
million yielded nearly $30 billion in economic benefits. Two projects
aimed at burning fossil fuel more efficiently and cleanly yielded environmental
benefits of over $60 billion.
The report, from the National Research Council (NRC), evaluated 39 research
projects funded by the Department of Energy since…
