Energy Future Coalition

Rethinking Energy

Energy is the linchpin of our economy. We use energy to power our factories, refrigerate our medicines, light our schools, and transport our food. But what we want from energy are the services it provides—heat, light, refrigeration— irrespective of the resources we use to generate them. Using innovative technologies and greater efficiency, the U.S., and the world, can provide these services with greater benefits to national security, trade balances, and the environment. The U.S. has the most dynamic economy in the world, yet its energy infrastructure is aging, and other countries are capitalizing on renewable energy technologies that were first developed in America. The coupling of climate and national security threats creates an urgency to find alternatives to conventional fossil fuel use.

The good news is that there are solutions at hand to transition the U.S. into a new era of clean energy and smarter energy policy. By improving energy efficiency, the U.S. can not only help save consumers money, but also reduce environmental impacts and future energy demand. By investing in renewable technologies and modernizing the electric power grid, we can improve the security and reliability of our energy supply and combat climate change.

In order to do this, we need to change the rules that currently dominate our energy sector. Right now, for example, utilities make money by selling, not saving, energy. Carbon-intensive fuels aren’t held account for the global warming pollution they create. The transportation sector is dependent on a single source of fuel, which leaves us vulnerable to price spikes and geopolitical upheavals. Two billion people live without access to modern energy services. We need comprehensive energy policy that integrates climate, security, and development concerns.

The Energy Future Coalition is leading the way to change the rules.