Tackling Municipal Energy Use in Rural America
Often overlooked, and under appreciated by energy efficiency advocates; according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, rural America comprises 17 percent of the population or 50 million people and provides a large market for building retrofits, and thus presents an opportunity for substantial energy savings. Buildings account for 40 percent of the total energy use in the United States and 70 percent of the electricity use. Retrofitting existing buildings provides a unique opportunity to not only save energy, but to help consumers save money on their energy bills, increase the productivity of businesses, and conserve available resources.
Existing buildings in rural America are comparatively older than in more urban/populated areas because they have not experienced the same kind of growth and modernization as the rest of the county. Rural areas do not have sufficient human and capital resources necessary to address these inefficient buildings. Inefficient buildings contribute to expensive utility bills, use available resources inefficiently, and put a region’s businesses at a competitive 
disadvantage, which due to low per-capita income disproportionally affects rural America. Rural areas are often ignored at the state and federal level. Despite the small population of an individual rural municipality, when aggregated, rural America comprises over 2,000 counties, and accounts for 75 percent of U.S. land. Targeting these regions can not only lead to future energy and cost savings, but can help to develop often absent human and social capital necessary for community development in areas that desperately need attention.
Despite the apparent barriers to energy efficiency, initiatives in rural America by an individual, Local Energy Committee, or Public Official can be tackled at no capital cost and with a minimal time commitment. The first step to reducing your municipality’s energy use and costs is to conduct an energy inventory which is designed to help your town understand its energy use
and cost. Inventories can assist in benchmarking and show funding sources that you are willing and able to show improvements in energy efficiency.
The following pages are designed to provide guidance to rural municipalities or community organizers who are looking to reduce the energy use and cost to the town and its residents and businesses. Please feel free to comment and ask further questions.
This page has the following sub pages.
Interesting blog you have here. It’s great to run into an innovative economist who demonstrates a sound understanding of a need for sustainability, but is not quick to pick sides on the political debate regarding environmental issues.
I too am very interested in agricultural issues and have a great love of rural and natural remnant environments and so your work is very interesting.
Cheers,
Tim
Thanks very much for your comments!
My interest in sustainability grew from my wish to help my local community. It just turned out that the best form of economic development was sustainable development. I hope that I can eventually reach other rural regions outside of my own.
I really appreciate your interest,
Maria
An excellent display of wisdom there; I look at things from an ecological view, however, I’m pro-development, but see development tending to great efficiency, being that we tread lighter to achieve as much (rather than mindless growth). More or less the same idea.
I happened upon your blog through Roger who has also labelled me as an alarmist (it seems he’s going nowhere by bullying ecologically minded blogs so has turned his attention to economical blogs that think innovative – or what he considers to be anti-capitalistic – he’s certainly a find result of cold war propaganda I fear).
Anyhow, he’s been useful because he’s led me to excellent writers and ideas – such as your work.
Help your local community: I think this is key to many of the mounting issues both ecologically and economically. It’s a sense of place, connection and purpose that helps people to shift to a different way of thinking. It’s understanding the pressures that different people are under (especially the smaller plot farmers and local remnant natural environments). Caring local makes a difference and this idea would naturally lead to bigger changes!
Tim
You phrased the idea of helping your local community perfectly!
“It’s a sense of place, connection and purpose that helps people to shift to a different way of thinking. It’s understanding the pressures that different people are under (especially the smaller plot farmers and local remnant natural environments). Caring local makes a difference and this idea would naturally lead to bigger changes!”
People often ignore rural areas, but aggregated there are a lot of people and communities that can be effected.
I knew I recognized your name, I realize now that I must have seen a comment of yours on Roger’s blog. I’m glad to know that you have found some good writers there, I will have to explore it further.
Thanks again for your comments, I look forward to reading your blog as well!