SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO EDUCATE CONSUMERS ABOUT THEIR ENERGY USAGE

WHEREAS, the federal government, as well as state and local governments, have made unprecedented investments in residential and commercial energy efficiency improvements over the past several years by financing grant, loan, and rebate programs, in addition to providing tax credits for energy efficiency measures; and

WHEREAS, the private sector has also invested heavily in energy efficiency upgrades, with energy service companies partnering with both public and private building owners to conduct efficiency upgrades at no upfront cost; and

WHEREAS, utility companies throughout the country have invested billions of dollars in advanced metering infrastructure, including nearly $4 billion in smart meter deployments financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; and

WHEREAS, almost all of this investment has been in the deployment of new energy technologies, with minimal funding dedicated to educating consumers about monitoring and altering their own energy usage; and

WHEREAS, many of these technologies, including smart meters, smart energy control systems, etc., function most effectively when consumers actively interact with the technology, and understand the economic and environmental benefits of utilizing it to reduce energy consumption or shift consumption to off-peak hours; and

WHEREAS, many communities, in partnership with local utilities, have already established outreach and education programs aimed at providing guidance on energy technologies to a wide range of stakeholders; and

WHEREAS, by empowering residents to more effectively and efficiently control their energy usage behavior, these educational efforts have the potential to further increase the energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions realized over the past few years even without additional capital investments,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on Congress and the Obama Administration to support and provide resources for initiatives that aim to inform and educate residents about how they can change their energy behavior.

BET IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on our members to support local energy education efforts that directly leverage federal, state, local, or private investments in clean energy technologies and enhance the ability of residents to understand how and when they use energy.