Impacts of the Save Energy Now (SEN) Program

Abstract

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 disruptions 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 has responded to energy shortages and its 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 the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program. The IAC Program has been successfully functioning during the past three decades. However, large energy users (LEUs) were not included in this...