The efficient use of energy has been the goal of many initiatives within the United States over the past several decades. While the success of specific efforts has varied, the trend is clear: the U.S. economy has steadily improved its ability to produce more with less energy. Yet these improvements have emerged unevenly and incompletely within the economy.
As a result, net efficiency gains fall short of their full NPV-positive potential. Concerns about energy affordability, energy security, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have heightened interest in the potential for energy efficiency to help address these important issues.