The 20-Billion Dollar Bonanza

Jan Mazotti is joined by Kelly de la Torre for an Energy 101 segment. Their guest Dr. Howard Geller of the Southwest Energy Effiencey Program talks about $20 Billion Bonanza and the Best Practice Electric Utility Energy Efficiency Programs for the Southwest. There are potential billion dollar savings in encouraging electric utilities to support customer energy savings.

Episode Segments:

Driving Force Radio: Dr. Howard Geller & SWEEP Dr. Howard Geller talks about the $20 Billion Bonanza and the Best Practices that could save Electric Utilities billions of dollars by reducing energy consumption. This SWEEP report shows that every dollar invested in utility energy efficiency programs returns more than two dollars in savings on business and household utility bills, with potential to create an economic windfall of $20 billion for six southwestern states.
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Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Howard Gellar Howard Geller is the Executive Director of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), a public interest venture he founded in 2001. Based in Boulder, Colorado, SWEEP promotes policies and programs to advance energy efficiency in a six-state region that includes Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Dr. Geller is the former Executive Director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). He established ACEE's Washington, D.C. office in 1981, stepping down as Executive Director in February 2001. He built ACEEE's reputation and influence through technical and policy assessments, advice to policy makers, development of energy efficiency programs, consumer guides, and conferences. Dr. Geller has advised and conducted energy efficiency studies for utilities, governmental organizations, and international agencies. He has testified before the U.S. Congress on energy issues many times and has influenced key energy legislation, including the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992. He is author or co author of four books. His most recent book, Energy Revolution: Policies for a Sustainable Future, was published in December 2002 by Island Press. In addition to his work in the United States, Dr. Geller has spent significant time working on energy efficiency issues in Brazil. He helped to start and frequently advises Brazil's National Electricity Conservation Program (PROCEL). Dr. Geller was awarded the 1998 Leo Szilard Award for Physics in the Public Interest by the American Physical Society in recognition of his contributions to national appliance efficiency standards and more efficient energy use in general. Dr. Geller is a member of the editorial advisory board for the journal Energy Policy, and was the associate editor for energy efficiency for the Macmillan Encyclopedia of Energy. Dr. Geller received his PhD in Energy Policy from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil and he holds a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University. Southwest Energy Efficiency Project