Existing efficiency measures could cut US energy use by a third

Massive inefficiencies across the US's energy network can be eliminated relatively easily, cutting about a third off the nation's energy use, according to a major new analysis of power consumption.

The study from environmental think tank the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), entitled Assessing the Electric Productivity Gap and the US Efficiency Opportunity, argues that wholescale efficiency improvements could be in place by 2020, slashing US greenhouse gas emissions in the process. At present the electric power industry is responsible for emitting about one third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US.

The report recommends that the 40 worst-performing states in terms of energy efficiency learn from energy productivity measures implemented by the other 10 states, which RMI deemed most productive with their electricity.

If the rest of the country achieved the electric productivity already attained by the top-performing states, the country would save a total of 1.2m gigawatt-hours annually – equivalent to 30 per cent of the nation's annual electricity use or 62 per cent of US coal-fired electrical power.

The saving of 1.2m gigawatt-hours has "blown a lot of people away", according to Mathias Bell, one of the authors of the report. They were aware there was a gap in productivity but not the size of it, he added.

"In 2020, if the US can, on average, achieve the electric productivity of the top-performing states today, we can anticipate a 34 per cent reduction in projected electricity demand," he said.

The RMI calculated the productivity rate by determining how much gross national product was generated for each kilowatt-hour consumed. Using 2005 data, the top 10 states generated $6.10 (£4.31) of GDP per kWh consumed. For the rest, the average was just $3.76.

California and New York, for example, both earned greater than one and a half times more GDP per kWh consumed than the national average. The report calculated that the gap is lower – but still significant – when factors such as climate and electricity-intensive manufacturing are taken into consideration.

Now that the RMI has identified the productivity gap, it will release two more reports over the next few months to show states and utilities the most effective measures for closing it.

The next report will look at policies and practical solutions while the final report will tackle the most important element – implementation. "That's where the rubber meets the road," said author Natalie Mims.