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November 5, 2009
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects the Appalachian Region’s energy consumption to grow 28 percent over 2006 levels by 2030, which is considerably higher than the 19 percent growth forecast for the United States overall. According to the ARC report, the EIA projects that coal will increase its share of energy use in the region if restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions are not mandated. Appalachia already employs two-thirds of the nation’s coal miners and produces 35 percent of the nation’s coal output. Clean energy job opportunities such as energy efficiency retrofits within the residential and commercial sectors offer an economic advantage to the region. Policy action aimed at developing energy efficiency potential could set Appalachia on a course toward a sustainable and prosperous energy future.
The Appalachian Region comprises 13 states, including parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia. The region was home to 23.9 million people in 2006.
The Energy Efficiency in Appalachia report was prepared by the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), in partnership with Georgia Institute of Technology, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, and the Alliance to Save Energy.
On November 5, 2009, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing on the economic opportunities afforded by energy efficiency investments in Appalachia. The briefing focused on a recent report commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), entitled Energy Efficiency in Appalachia: How Much More is Available, at What Cost, and By When, and also discussed examples of successful programs and the role of community colleges.