For 30 years, the Northwest has been a leader in treating energy efficiency and conservation as a power resource. The Northwest Power Act of 1980 called on the Northwest to give energy conservation top priority in meeting its power needs, and the region quickly learned that a megawatt saved is the equivalent of a megawatt produced.
As of 2009, energy efficiency accounted for only 1 percent of all electricity production in the United States. But in the Northwest, it accounted for 12 percent, thanks to collaboration among a number of entities - the Bonneville Power Administration, Northwest Power and Conservation Council, regional utilities, state agencies and environmental interests.
In fiscal year 2009 alone, BPA secured approximately 70 average megawatts of energy efficiency for the Northwest - enough energy to power 60,000 homes. Today, energy efficiency is more important than ever. It is clean and emission free. It is also low cost relative to new energy generating resources. It serves our national goals of reducing our carbon footprint and enhancing our energy independence. In short, it is the world's most environmentally and economically friendly energy resource.
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