WHAT:

The Center for Sustainable Transport in Brazil (CTS-Brasil), a member of the World Resources Institute’s EMBARQ Network, the National Confederation of Transport, and the British Embassy will host the 2009 Brazil National Summit on Transport and the Environment. About 60 representatives from government, the private sector and the public will attend the one-day event focusing on policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the urban transport sector in Brazil.

WHEN:

Thursday, May 28, 2009
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

WHERE:

Headquarters of the National Confederation of Transport (CNT)
SAS, Quadra 1, Bloco J
Brasilia - DF BRAZIL

WHO:

Luis Antonio Lindau, director, CTS-Brasil
Rejane D. Fernandes, communications coordinator, CTS-Brasil
Marilei Menezes, special projects coordinator, National Confederation of Transport
Patricia Boson, environment consultant, National Confederation of Transport
Luiz Andrade, climate change program manager, British Embassy
Raissa Ferreira, support officer of climate change program, British Embassy

WHY:

The goals and policy recommendations developed at the summit will be submitted to the federal government when Brazil’s National Plan on Climate Change comes up for revision in 2010.

Stressed water supplies in the Southeast United States could be relieved by introducing energy and water conservation policies outlined in a report released today by the World Resources Institute, Southface and Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance.

Freshwater in the Southeast U.S. The above chart, based on U.S. Geological Survey data, shows that about 65 percent, or nearly 40 billion gallons, of water is withdrawn each day for thermoelectric power in the Southeast United States. Water and Watts, the third report in a three-part series about energy issues in the region, notes that approximately two out of every three gallons of freshwater withdrawn in the Southeast U.S. are sent to thermoelectric power plants, which are mostly coal-fired and nuclear. These plants require about 40 billion gallons of freshwater each day - nearly equal to the total daily freshwater withdrawals required to meet public supply needs for the entire U.S.

“Reducing electricity demands is not only critical to addressing our energy challenges, but also to meeting regional water needs,” said Ben Taube, executive director at the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance and a co-author of the new report. “Lawmakers at the federal, state, and local levels should consider policies that create incentives for the efficient use of both water and energy, especially in light of recent droughts.”

Water availability has become a more common source of conflict between states in the region. Alabama, Florida, and Georgia have fought over control of the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint River Basin and similar issues arose in North and South Carolina over the Catawba River.

Looking ahead, population growth in the Southeast could lead to a 30 percent increase in thermoelectric power generation by 2025. Without policy action to encourage efficiency and water-efficient power production, this higher electricity demand could further exacerbate water scarcity problems.

“Building more thermoelectric power plants that run on nuclear and coal is simply not sustainable,” said Dennis Creech, executive director at Southface, another report co-author. “Fortunately, we see that efficiency upgrades and conservation efforts can reduce demands on both energy and water resources, while saving consumers money on utility bills.”

The report notes that the average household in the region is spending about $250 each year on energy to heat the water they use for dishwashers, clothes washers, showers, and other needs. Upgrading just half the households in the Southeast with WaterSense labeled faucets or faucet aerators, for one example, could save residents an estimated $40 million on their water bills and another $80 million on their energy bills.

Any water efficiency improvements also help reduce demands on city water and wastewater treatment facilities. The energy needed to operate these facilities can amount to as much as 30 percent of a city’s total energy bill.

“These relationships between energy and water should not be overlooked in the Southeast,” said Eliot Metzger, an energy expert at WRI and co-author of the report. “Policymakers should take steps to promote water and energy savings, starting with near-term actions that make good economic and environmental sense.”

Policy and investment opportunities highlighted in the report focus on realizing both energy and water benefits. To start, state regulators must evaluate the impacts of new electric power supplies upon water, and prioritize options, including efficiency, with minimal or no water requirements.

Strong leadership is also needed with energy and water efficiency requirements for public buildings. Several states - including Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia - have policies that encourage efficiency in state buildings. Additional policies and procurement guidelines for high efficiency products, like those bearing the ENERGY STAR logo or the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense label, can lead to additional energy, water and cost savings.

Financial incentives can help promote options like solar water heaters, which use heat from the sun to provide 40 to 80 percent of water heating needs. These systems can save homeowners $150 or more in energy costs each year. State tax incentives and additional federal tax credits can help encourage more homeowners to install solar hot water systems.

Finally, states and utilities can also lead information and awareness campaigns to help educate homeowners and businesses about the connections between energy and water use.

Energy efficiency policies in the Southeast U.S. can help reduce electricity use by more than 10 percent over the next six years - saving the same amount of power generated by more than 30 coal-fired power plants, according to a report released today by the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), and Southface.

Projected Southeast Electricity Consumption This chart shows near-term energy efficiency potential in the Southeast, compared to DOE projections for electricity consumption through 2015. The region can save more than 10 percent of total electricity use, which amounts to 80 percent of the expected growth in demand over that period.

“Most buildings in the Southeast needlessly waste energy,” said Dennis Creech, a co-author of the report and executive director at Southface. “Though our region has shown progress in recent years, there remains immense potential to make homes and businesses more energy efficient. Our analyses in Georgia suggest that a 1 percent annual improvement in efficiency would save households $700 million over the next decade with lower electricity and natural gas bills.”

According to Power of Efficiency, the second report in a three-part series about energy opportunities in the Southeast United States, energy efficiency savings can be captured in the near future with prompt policy action by states. For instance, updating and enforcing energy codes for residential and commercial buildings will save consumers money and drastically reduce energy demands.

“Immediate investment in energy efficiency can pay significant dividends for years to come,” according to Ben Taube, a co-author and executive director at SEEA. “Our core mission and efforts show that a regional focus on efficiency will help meet future electricity needs, enhance our economy, and protect the environment.”

Several examples from the region offer good starting points for broader efficiency efforts. One example noted in the report is a program in Virginia that offers a tax credit for developers who construct high-efficiency buildings for low-income residents. Data and billing information showed that these residents reduced their energy costs by more than 25 percent and saved an average of 15 percent on total monthly utility bills.

The authors found that tax credits, loan programs or other financial incentives that reward both utilities and consumers for energy savings are some of the best methods to relieve initial cost hurdles and provide long-term economic savings.

The report notes that a national energy savings target would help accelerate action, citing a recent analysis by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy that shows projected impacts of a federal Energy Efficiency Resource Standard. Such a policy could create more than 50,000 new jobs across the region and save consumers nearly $40 billion over the next 10 years.

“Southeast states have a huge opportunity with energy efficiency,” said Eliot Metzger, an energy expert at WRI and also a co-author of the series of reports. “It’s the cleanest, cheapest energy option on the table and abundant throughout the region.”