Why have states lagged in demand-side utility management?
Growth in energy demand by the building sector can be reduced from the projected 30 percent increase to zero between now and 2030. In order to meet this goal, however, the federal government must increase research and development spending for next-generation building technologies, for training building scientists and for supporting the associated national laboratory, university and private sector research programs. At the same time, the federal government must strongly encourage states to push forward with demand-side management in the utility industry. It is time, however, for the federal government to listen to the American public who support conservation and efficiency and become more aggressive in encouraging all states to adopt consistent standards for demand-side energy programs.
