Energy Costs

U.S. industry consumes more than one-third of the energy used nationwide, according to federal government data. That statistic is sobering, but it also represents an opportunity for industry innovation and leadership. We must plan for the future with forward-thinking approaches to energy sourcing and savings. When industry makes even relatively small strides toward energy efficiency, the results are significant. At large companies, shutting off computers when they aren't in use can reduce annual carbon footprints by tens of thousands of metric tons.

Everybody likes the idea of saving energy costs, but even the most dedicated penny-pinchers may find their eyes glazing over when the talk turns to R values, degree-days and British thermal units.But suppose there were a simple device that you could put in your home that would monitor your heating and cooling, adjust it to fit the way you live, save energy -- and even, in some cases, save you big bucks. Suppose it was also inexpensive, easy to install, and once it's set up, utterly forgettable.

The University of Maryland is considering a proposal to raise student fees by $15 a year to cover rising energy costs in the aftermath of hurricanes Rita and Katrina. The increase would be on top of a $70 increase approved by a committee made up of College Park students and administrators. In total, the current $1,255 in annual student fees would increase by $85 next fall, according to Cassandra Robinson, a university spokeswoman. The fees, which are in addition to tuition, cover recreational activities.

The first winter after Danielle Smith bought her house in North Baltimore, the 35-year-old schoolteacher wondered if it even had a furnace, it was so cold and drafty. Now, with almost all new windows and several other energy-efficiency retrofits, Smith said, her four-bedroom single-story home in the mid-Govans neighborhood is cozier, less costly to heat — and apparently healthier for her 8-year-old son, Akil. "You can feel the difference," she said, as her son played on the carpeted living room floor at her feet.

The nation's cost of living edged up 0.2 percent in June, bolstering the view of some economists that inflation appears to be under control as the recession winds down.Figures released today by the Labor Department showed that for the first half of 1991, consumer prices increased at an annual rate of 2.7 percent, well below the 6.1 percent advance for all of 1990, the worst in eight years.Declining energy costs offset a sharp rise in fruit and vegetable prices in June. The seasonally adjusted gain in the Labor Department's Consumer Price Index followed a 0.3 percent increase in May and an 0.2 percent rise in April.

The people who clean and care for Harford County schools aren't endorsing a proposal by a private contractor to save the school system as much as $1.8 million in energy costs but say they are open to Johnson Controls Inc.'s suggestions.The board has heard from two private companies -- the other is ServiceMaster Service Management Co. -- in an effort to find ways to run its facilities and construction departments more efficiently.Johnson Controls' proposals include: more efficient lighting, replacing boilers with less expensive natural-gas boilers, combining laundry facilities and installing controls that cut energy use during off hours.

President Bush and Congress keep pushing supply-side solutions to higher fuel prices, but many Americans have a better idea: They're buying less of the stuff. Gasoline consumption dropped by 4 percent to 6 percent below the usual post-Labor Day lull, according to industry estimates. Governments imposed energy-saving measures, such as Anne Arundel County's move to put many employees on four-day workweeks. Businesses are squeezing savings out of their energy costs with tactics such as Wal-Mart's move to convert its truck fleet to fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles.

The first week in July marked the beginning of the peak season for electricity consumption. The mix of 90-degree weather and power-hungry air conditioners is the major culprit, but chances are your residential appliances, computers, hot water heaters and various other electrical devices aren't exactly taking the dog days of summer off either. Now is an ideal moment for consumers to take responsibility for their energy costs - the stakes have gotten too high to think otherwise. That begins with conservation.

Spending is slowing - but so is inflation, offering the Federal Reserve more room to stimulate the economy by lowering interest rates next month, if it wants. Retail sales softened in October, rising 0.2 percent after a 0.7 percent gain in the previous month, the Commerce Department said yesterday. The report underscored analysts' expectations that consumers will be more reluctant to spend freely over the holiday season. It was the smallest sales gain since a 0.1 percent rise in August.

A burden on the working class. A jobs killer. A hidden tax on every purchase. That's' just some of the strong invective hurled at the concept of cap-and-trade programs by its politically conservative critics in recent years. But a funny thing has happened to those 10 states, including Maryland, that actually signed onto what's known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and started requiring power plant owners to purchase allowances for each ton of carbon dioxide they emit.