Energy conservation in the United States
Subtitle: understanding its role in climate policy
By: Gilbert E. Metcalf.
Contributors: National Bureau of Economic Research.
Series: NBER working paper series -- no. 12272.; Working paper series (National Bureau of Economic Research) -- working paper no. 12272.
Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research
Published: 2006
Place of publication: Cambridge, Mass
Language: eng
Number of pages: 39
Subjects: Energy conservation -- Economic aspects; Energy conservation -- Mathematical models
Description: "Efforts to reduce carbon emissions significantly will require considerable improvements in energy intensity, the ratio of energy consumption to economic activity.  Improvements in energy intensity over the past thirty years suggest great possibilities for energy conservation: current annual energy consumption avoided due to declines in energy intensity since 1970 substantially exceed current annual domestic energy supply.While historic improvements in energy intensity suggest great scope for energy conservation in the future, I argue that optimistic estimates of avoided energy costs due to energy conservation are likely biased downward.  I then analyze a data set on energy intensity in the United States at the state level between 1970 and 2001 to disentangle the key elements of energy efficiency and economic activity that drive changes in energy intensity"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.
Notes: "May 2006."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-39).

Also available in PDF from the NBER world wide web site (www.nber.org).