How recycled energy can help save American manufacturing
Posted by Dick Munson on August 9th, 2010
The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) just released the results of a comprehensive study on how to improve industrial energy efficiency. It makes an important point: it pays to invest in recycled energy.
Conducted by Keybridge Research and the University of Maryland’s Inforum Modeling Project, the study looked at IECA’s Sustainable Manufacturing & Growth Initiative policy recommendations, which include investment tax credits for combined heat and power (CHP) and recycled energy, a Clean Energy Standard Offer Program (CESOP) and other proposals. The researchers found that implementing IECA’s recommendations would dramatically improve American manufacturing competitiveness and:
- Increase real GDP by $77 billion in 2020.
- Increase cumulative employment by 9.4 million job-years in 2010-2030.
- Increase cumulative private investment by more than $1 trillion in 2010-2030.
- Increase family income by an average of $788 (0.68%) in 2020.
- Increase cumulative net exports by $392 billion in 2010-2030.
- Reduce energy-related GHG emissions by 13% in 2020.
The study goes on to say that “the net fiscal cost associated with the IECA recommendations would be less than 0.1% of discretionary government spending between 2011-2030, and would result in a cumulative increase in real GDP growth that is approximately 20 times greater than the cumulative net fiscal cost — providing U.S. taxpayers with significant ‘bang for the buck.’”
