"In an otherwise bleak job market, energy efficiency companies

around the world are proudly proclaiming, “Now Hiring!” This

trend is catalyzed by stimulus dollars and a growing realization

by companies, utilities, and governments that volatile

energy costs make energy efficiency a highly competitive option

for meeting their new energy needs, and a cost-effective

job creator.

The Political Economy Research Institute, in a June 2009 publication,

reported that the number of U.S. direct jobs created

per million dollar investment in building retrofits and smart

grid is far greater than direct jobs created in the coal industry,

by a factor of 8:1 and 5:1 respectively. Even compared to

wind and solar, at 4.3 and 5.4 direct jobs created per million

dollars invested respectively, building retrofits’ seven direct

jobs per million dollars invested shows how the ‘fifth fuel’ –

as energy efficiency is known – has the potential to pack the

most bang for the buck.

The Northwest Planning and Conservation Council, for

example, has projected that Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and

Washington can meet 85 percent of their new electricity

needs over the next 20 years solely through conservation, and

do so at half the cost of building new power plants. Energy

efficiency attracted more than 35 percent of the estimated

$470 billion in green stimulus funding worldwide from January

to May 2009, according to global financial firm HSBC.

The firm defines efficiency as funding for buildings and grid

infrastructure.

“Efficiency is the quickest way to meet our energy needs

cost-effectively while making the U.S. a world leader in

clean-energy technologies across multiple sectors.” says Skip

Laitner, director of economic and social analysis at the American

Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

In the face of economic turmoil, European efficiency leader

Germany has allocated approximately 10% of its total (and

more than 60% of climate-related) recovery funds to building

retrofits. Since 2006, 6.4 billion euros (U.S. $8.5 billion)...."