Federal energy conservation policy: an analysis of the policy area and an illustrative policy recommendation

Technical Report · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5191120

Brownell, W A; Dunn, L

Energy conservation has been widely touted as the cleanest and most effective means of providing the new energy resources and fuel supplies that will be needed to maintain the health of the domestic economy in the near future. While there has been much public agreement that substantial energy conservation is a worthy goal, there has been little agreement as to what is meant by energy conservation, who is to bear the burden of energy conservation measures, and how and to what degree energy conservation should be stimulated by public activity. This paper outlines a definition of energy conservation based on economic principles, arguing that inclusion of the full social costs of energy resource use in the price of those resources will stimulate cost effective reductions in energy use, and thus produce substantial energy conservation. The paper also identifies a number of potential barriers to the effects of price-oriented conservation efforts, and outlines the proper place for government involvement in stimulating energy conservation, both through the price mechanism and in response to non-pricing barriers. This discussion is followed by a brief assessment of present federal energy conservation activities, and trends in present Federal policy initiatives.

• Research Organization: Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (USA). Energy and Environmental Policy Center
• OSTI ID: 5191120
• Report Number(s): NP-2906130; E-80-03; ON: DE82906130
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
291000* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
BUILDINGS
CONSTRAINTS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INDUSTRY
RECOMMENDATIONS
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR