The Economic Impact of Energy Efficiency Retrofits

The op-ed builds on a recent study produced by the author entitled, "Saving the Environment; Saving the Economy":

"With the right focus, we can simultaneously save both the environment and the economy. The answer lies in our older residential and commercial buildings. California currently has approximately 13.4 million homes and about a half a million commercial buildings. Most were not subject to any energy or water efficiency requirements when constructed."

"Ten direct jobs are created for every $1 million invested in energy efficiency upgrades. An aggressive program aimed at retrofitting the 9.2 million less efficient residential units over the next ten years could generate a staggering 920,000 construction jobs. Investing another $1,650 apiece for water efficiency improvements to 7.5 million homes would generate another 124,000 construction jobs. That does not even include upgrading the commercial building stock."

Thanks to James Brasuell