Michigan manufacturers, retailers and energy service providers showcased their energy-efficient products and services to legislators and the public at the Michigan ENERGY STAR Exposition May 21. Twelve businesses and Urban Options, an East Lansing nonprofit organization, displayed information about their organizations for six hours at the Capitol Rotunda.

For nearly a decade, Michigan has had very few policies or programs to support energy efficiency. Before that, it was among the national leaders in energy efficiency, with strong energy conservation programs operated by electric and gas utilities. Without these programs, Michigan's citizens, businesses and government agencies have been spending far more money on energy than necessary. The state has been slow to respond to this situation.

The purpose of the Expo was to educate policymakers about how investment in energy efficiency could free up the resources of the state as well as the disposable income of consumers that is urgently needed to jump-start Michigan's economy. It highlighted new technologies that help reduce the cost of operating state facilities, schools, residential homes and businesses. The potential savings are significant. In 1999 alone, Michigan spent $19.7 billion on energy. Total energy use is projected to grow nearly 25% by 2020.

A large portion of Michigan's energy dollars end up supporting local economies elsewhere, particularly because we must import 100% of the coal and uranium that together produce the lion's share of our electricity. We should, instead, be investing this money here at home. One clear economic advantage stems from the high labor intensity of the energy efficiency sector. A recent report by the Environmental Law and Policy Center and the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory shows that Michigan could potentially create over 29,000 new jobs in this technology sector if it were given adequate attention.

Besides the benefits to Michigan's economy, energy efficiency funding would strengthen public and environmental health. At reasonable levels of investment, critical air pollutants could be reduced by up to 30%. Furthermore, every gigawatt of energy saved would result in annual reductions of 2.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide, the most significant greenhouse gas.

There are many policies Michigan can enact to help reduce energy consumption. For example, setting energy savings targets for state facilities and establishing energy efficiency as a priority criterion in state purchasing policies would produce direct savings for taxpayers through reduced energy bills for government facilities. Other effective policies include adopting progressive building codes and appliance efficiency standards.

Even as the Expo was being held in the Capitol, MEC was testifying before the Senate Committee on Technology and Energy to educate key decision-makers about how these policies could overcome existing barriers to investment in energy efficiency. To help deliver this message, MEC was joined by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, MTI Lighting Specialists of Brighton, and Whirlpool Corporation of Benton Harbor.