Whether federal or state, public policy for energy efficiency affects us all. Unfortunately, energy efficiency policy too often gets bogged down in the murky pool of politics. For example, energy efficiency regulations proposed by President Clinton for air conditioners could reduce the projected increase in demand for electricity by one-eighth through 2020. The new Bush administration decreased the efficiency requirements shortly after taking office. A 2000 study by the federal Department of Energy found that market-based, energy efficiency policies such as tax credits for fuel efficient vehicles could reduce the growth of energy demand by a third through 2010.
Availability meets increasing demand.
Commencing with the 1974 OPEC international oil cartel embargo which led to much higher crude oil prices, electric utilities accelerated consumption of U.S. coal - because America is the Saudi Arabia of coal. By 1994 per-person annual consumption of energy per American had climbed back to 213 million BTUs. Americans continue to use more energy per person than residents of any other country except Canada. Some synfuel plants are relocating near existing power generating plants. More than forty-four plants exist nationally, with ten or more being in West Virginia.