Comments on: Energy efficiency is great, but we have to ask at what cost? http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/2010/03/11/energy-efficiency-is-great-but-we-have-to-ask-at-what-cost/ Institute for Energy Research Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Todd Wynn http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/2010/03/11/energy-efficiency-is-great-but-we-have-to-ask-at-what-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-2787 Todd Wynn Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:45:13 +0000 http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/?p=5027#comment-2787 Economists know that energy consumption is directly related to energy prices. As energy prices rise, consumption declines. Energy efficiency upgrades will not help to reach greenhouse gas reduction goals because increases in energy efficiency lower energy prices, resulting in more consumption for the same price. This is not to say that energy efficiency is a bad thing to pursue. Efficiency in general should be looked at in a positive light. It is always better to have a more productive device that uses fewer inputs. However, agencies and politicians need to realize that efficiency is not the silver bullet to reduce greenhouse gases. Creating a giant slush fund for energy efficiency subsidies is a serious misallocation of capital. http://www.cascadepolicy.org/pdf/env/2008_34.pdf Economists know that energy consumption is directly related to energy prices. As energy prices rise, consumption declines. Energy efficiency upgrades will not help to reach greenhouse gas reduction goals because increases in energy efficiency lower energy prices, resulting in more consumption for the same price.

This is not to say that energy efficiency is a bad thing to pursue. Efficiency in general should be looked at in a positive light. It is always better to have a more productive device that uses fewer inputs. However, agencies and politicians need to realize that efficiency is not the silver bullet to reduce greenhouse gases. Creating a giant slush fund for energy efficiency subsidies is a serious misallocation of capital.

http://www.cascadepolicy.org/pdf/env/2008_34.pdf

]]> By: Todd Wynn http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/2010/03/11/energy-efficiency-is-great-but-we-have-to-ask-at-what-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-4524 Todd Wynn Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:45:00 +0000 http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/?p=5027#comment-4524 Economists know that energy consumption is directly related to energy prices. As energy prices rise, consumption declines. Energy efficiency upgrades will not help to reach greenhouse gas reduction goals because increases in energy efficiency lower energy prices, resulting in more consumption for the same price. This is not to say that energy efficiency is a bad thing to pursue. Efficiency in general should be looked at in a positive light. It is always better to have a more productive device that uses fewer inputs. However, agencies and politicians need to realize that efficiency is not the silver bullet to reduce greenhouse gases. Creating a giant slush fund for energy efficiency subsidies is a serious misallocation of capital. http://www.cascadepolicy.org/pdf/env/2008_34.pdf Economists know that energy consumption is directly related to energy prices. As energy prices rise, consumption declines. Energy efficiency upgrades will not help to reach greenhouse gas reduction goals because increases in energy efficiency lower energy prices, resulting in more consumption for the same price.

This is not to say that energy efficiency is a bad thing to pursue. Efficiency in general should be looked at in a positive light. It is always better to have a more productive device that uses fewer inputs. However, agencies and politicians need to realize that efficiency is not the silver bullet to reduce greenhouse gases. Creating a giant slush fund for energy efficiency subsidies is a serious misallocation of capital.

http://www.cascadepolicy.org/pdf/env/2008_34.pdf

]]> By: Steven E. Sexton http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/2010/03/11/energy-efficiency-is-great-but-we-have-to-ask-at-what-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-2717 Steven E. Sexton Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:43:14 +0000 http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/?p=5027#comment-2717 The Title “Energy efficiency is great, but we have to ask at what cost?” misleads, as the subject is only about the energy efficiency of household appliances and not really about the broad topic of energy efficiency via other methods that have proven to be quite beneficial economically. The article is awash with augments that do not really exist. First, “The problem is that energy efficiency is not free” is impractical. Who said energy efficiency is free? Another falsehood set up in the article is that Americans are not “free” to choose their own appliances. Hey, people are free to use a washboard, an antique washing machine or whatever else they want to use including a Laundromat. Another falsehood is the high cost of appliances. What about the high cost of everything today? Money is losing its value because Congress is borrowing from the Federal Reserve Bank at record levels. American money has lost significant buying power in just the last few years, so attributing the high cost of appliances to energy efficiency policies is also impractical. Although the government is doing the bidding of US Citizens by generating policies for more efficient appliances, why is this bad thing? Conserving more energy means we can grow our economy with more available energy and with greater productivity. I am not defending government or government policy, but there is plenty to write about in the realm of energy without creating falsehoods and false arguments. What is the point? The Title “Energy efficiency is great, but we have to ask at what cost?” misleads, as the subject is only about the energy efficiency of household appliances and not really about the broad topic of energy efficiency via other methods that have proven to be quite beneficial economically.
The article is awash with augments that do not really exist. First, “The problem is that energy efficiency is not free” is impractical. Who said energy efficiency is free?
Another falsehood set up in the article is that Americans are not “free” to choose their own appliances. Hey, people are free to use a washboard, an antique washing machine or whatever else they want to use including a Laundromat.
Another falsehood is the high cost of appliances. What about the high cost of everything today? Money is losing its value because Congress is borrowing from the Federal Reserve Bank at record levels. American money has lost significant buying power in just the last few years, so attributing the high cost of appliances to energy efficiency policies is also impractical.

Although the government is doing the bidding of US Citizens by generating policies for more efficient appliances, why is this bad thing? Conserving more energy means we can grow our economy with more available energy and with greater productivity. I am not defending government or government policy, but there is plenty to write about in the realm of energy without creating falsehoods and false arguments. What is the point?

]]> By: Steven E. Sexton http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/2010/03/11/energy-efficiency-is-great-but-we-have-to-ask-at-what-cost/comment-page-1/#comment-4523 Steven E. Sexton Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:43:00 +0000 http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/?p=5027#comment-4523 The Title “Energy efficiency is great, but we have to ask at what cost?” misleads, as the subject is only about the energy efficiency of household appliances and not really about the broad topic of energy efficiency via other methods that have proven to be quite beneficial economically. The article is awash with augments that do not really exist. First, “The problem is that energy efficiency is not free” is impractical. Who said energy efficiency is free? Another falsehood set up in the article is that Americans are not “free” to choose their own appliances. Hey, people are free to use a washboard, an antique washing machine or whatever else they want to use including a Laundromat. Another falsehood is the high cost of appliances. What about the high cost of everything today? Money is losing its value because Congress is borrowing from the Federal Reserve Bank at record levels. American money has lost significant buying power in just the last few years, so attributing the high cost of appliances to energy efficiency policies is also impractical. Although the government is doing the bidding of US Citizens by generating policies for more efficient appliances, why is this bad thing? Conserving more energy means we can grow our economy with more available energy and with greater productivity. I am not defending government or government policy, but there is plenty to write about in the realm of energy without creating falsehoods and false arguments. What is the point? The Title “Energy efficiency is great, but we have to ask at what cost?” misleads, as the subject is only about the energy efficiency of household appliances and not really about the broad topic of energy efficiency via other methods that have proven to be quite beneficial economically.
The article is awash with augments that do not really exist. First, “The problem is that energy efficiency is not free” is impractical. Who said energy efficiency is free?
Another falsehood set up in the article is that Americans are not “free” to choose their own appliances. Hey, people are free to use a washboard, an antique washing machine or whatever else they want to use including a Laundromat.
Another falsehood is the high cost of appliances. What about the high cost of everything today? Money is losing its value because Congress is borrowing from the Federal Reserve Bank at record levels. American money has lost significant buying power in just the last few years, so attributing the high cost of appliances to energy efficiency policies is also impractical.

Although the government is doing the bidding of US Citizens by generating policies for more efficient appliances, why is this bad thing? Conserving more energy means we can grow our economy with more available energy and with greater productivity. I am not defending government or government policy, but there is plenty to write about in the realm of energy without creating falsehoods and false arguments. What is the point?

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