DOE plans 30% cut in energy use

Energy consumed by the Department of Energy would be reduced by 30% through a plan announced by Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman last week. Details of the plan are yet to come, Bodman says, but the department estimates the 30% reduction will save approximately $90 million per year in DOE energy costs, beyond the cost paid for the efficiency technologies that will be put in place. DOE's plan calls for efficiency proposals to be developed by utilities, energy service companies, and other private-sector contractors over the next year and presented to DOE. The contractors are expected to identify potential energy savings, conduct audits, and purchase and install needed equipment. The companies will recoup their cost plus profits through payments from DOE from the expected energy savings realized over time, Bodman says. Bodman predicts the energy reductions will be fully in place by 2015 or earlier. The overall plan, Bodman says, will become a model for all agencies of the U.S. government, the nation's largest energy user. DOE also plans to increase its use of renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and alternative vehicle fuels, and Bodman intends to shift DOE's entire 14,000-vehicle fleet to ethanol and other nonpetroleum fuels.