No cap. No trade. Just $438 in your pocket

A report being released today shows Michigan families would save an average $438 annually in utility bills if strong energy efficiency measures are included in the energy bill being debated in the U.S. Senate:

http://www.environmentalcouncil.org/newsroom/pressRelease.php?x=38

That energy legislation includes the controversial cap-and-trade provision to try and help get a grip on global warming pollution. Whatever one thinks of cap-and-trade, energy efficiency would seem noncontroversial:  Money in our pockets. Less pollution. Reduced dependence on fossil fuels.

We're talking programs that help businesses and homeowners afford smart low-energy lighting systems, boilers and furnaces that use less fuel, weatherproof windows and insulation to keep the cold out (or the cold in, depending on the season), etc. etc.

You would think it would be a no-brainer for our Senators, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, and their colleagues.

You would think, anyway.

There are some great resources for homeowners available from my friends at Michigan Energy Options (see the links on the right hand side of their page):   http://www.michiganenergyoptions.org/

And I had an interesting discussion with an energetic fellow from Ann Arbor who's developed this interesting web site to show, among other things, how you stack up against other Michiganders in term of energy use. Just make sure you enter your address exactly as it's shown to get started: www.joolze.com

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