Increased fuel price volatility is with us to stay and is placing severe burdens on the energy offices. Time-tested, pragmatic programs are being resurrected that promote sensible driving practices, proper maintenance, and alternative fuels. New programs are being developed that take advantage of technological advances over the past 20 years. Computer technology provides us with many new opportunities for increasing the efficiency of petroleum use. Computers increase productivity for industry-maximizing the use of raw materials in the production process.
Computers allow businesses the opportunity to allow employees to work from remote locations.
And computers allow the consumer to go shopping without ever leaving their homes. State Energy Offices are focusing significant resources on application of these advances into a variety of energy practices. The good news is that people have begun to demand cost-effective, energy efficiency, and clean energy alternatives for dealing with the higher petroleum costs. The bad news is that the cuts in funding for State Grants since 1995 have left many State Energy Offices and Weatherization programs far short of the resources needed to provide citizens with the level of advanced information and assistance needed to cost-effectively maximize energy efficiency. This flood of assistance requests that State Energy Offices are facing necessitates our calls to the Subcommittee for additional State Grant Funds.