Commending the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) announcement of a new “Smart Energy” campaign, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI; Washington, D.C.) pledged its full support of the DOE's nationwide effort to encourage customers to use energy wisely and more efficiently.

“EEI and its members have a long history of encouraging the wise use of energy, and we have worked diligently to educate and assist customers on how to use energy more efficiently and save money on their bills,” said EEI President Thomas Kuhn, who joined Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham at the July 9, 2003, launch of the new DOE program.

“Through our Web sites, public service announcements and other outreach efforts, EEI and its members have been providing hands-on advice and practical tips for customers who want to be smart energy users,” he said.

Kuhn noted that those efforts have paid off over the years. EEI's member companies, through aggressive demand-side management programs, have saved 517 million megawatt-hours of electricity in the past decade — equivalent to the annual electric usage of 52 million typical American homes.

Increasingly efficient electric technologies also have played a vital role in saving energy in the past three decades, said Kuhn, noting that while the Gross Domestic Product has more than doubled in that time, total energy demand has grown by only 30%.

Touching on longer-term fixes that can help secure America's energy future, Kuhn also encouraged federal policy-makers to ensure that an adequate and diverse fuel supply is available for the generation of electricity.

“We must avoid policies that punish one particular fuel source or reward another,” Kuhn said. “In the same vein, we can encourage members of Congress, who are now weighing national comprehensive energy proposals, to enact legislation that will enhance our nation's ability to explore, produce and transport natural gas to customers who need it.”
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