Impacts of Save Energy Now (SEN) Program

Abstract

The need for energy efficiency captured the attention of all sectors
of our society in the 1970s when energy supplies dwindled and prices
increased. Interest in energy efficiency continued during the 1980s
primarily due to environmental concerns and secondarily because of
economic and industrial competitiveness issues. Energy supply disrup-
tions caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and recent hikes in energy
prices, have generated a renewed interest in energy efficiency.
In the past, the industrial sector responded to energy shortages
and price increases with varying effectiveness, but small and medium-
sized plants generally lacked the resources to cope effectively. One of the
U.S. government’s responses to this situation was to offer these small
and medium-sized plants technical assistance such as industrial assess-
ment center (IAC) programs. The IAC program has been successfully
functioning during the past three decades. However, large energy users
(LEUs) were not included in this program.
Two years back, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched
the SAVE ENERGY NOW initiative to help American businesses, factories,
and manufacturing facilities save energy and continue to thrive during
the time of diminished supplies and rising energy costs. Energy supply
disruptions caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and recent hikes in
energy prices, are impacting everyone in the United States, including
the nation’s industrial sector.