Role of conservation in planning for an energy emergency: home and work-place energy use

Prospects for making substantial reductions in energy consumption in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors are discussed. Steps to deal with an emergency and with preparations that can be started now to reduce our vulnerability are described. A large amount of energy conservation has occurred since 1973. As a result, 1980 consumption will be about 83 EJ instead of 104 EJ. Much of this energy conservation has come about from increased efficiency, as indicated by the fact that the energy/GNP ratio has dropped from 64 MJ/1972 dollar in 1973 to 58 MJ/1972 dollar in 1979. Higher energy prices have been and will continue to be the principal driving force for conservation. However, there are a number of serious barriers. Because of these barriers Congress has promulgated a program of encouraging conservation through regulations, financial measures, and information programs. Some of the most important are energy performance standards for new buildings, assistance in retrofitting residential buildings, and grants for institutional buildings. The planning for emergency situations remains incomplete. Proposed emergency measures (with the exception of gasoline rationing) focus largely on reduction of nonessential uses of energy. The potential reductions achievable by such measures would fall far short of the requirements in a serious emergency such as a cutoff of all imports from the mid-east. There remains an urgent need for detailed planning of allocation, distribution, pricing, and enforcement procedures for a major emergency.