# Energy Efficiency: Fruit Lying on the Ground

*Published:* 2009-03-24
*Author:* Kate Zerrenner

![Energy Saving Bulb](http://www.marieclaire.com/cm/marieclaire/images/R0/smmr-mny-7-md.jpg)Many have described energy efficiency as the low-hanging fruit for reducing greenhouse gases as well as helping us cut our rising electric bills. In Washington, DC a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be in the room when new [DOE](http://www.energy.gov/ "Department of Energy") Secretary Steven Chu described it as “fruit lying on the ground.”

Translation: Energy efficiency is the cheapest, fastest and cleanest source of energy and is available *now*. Consider that energy efficiency:

- is one of the few weapons we have in our aresenal that is cost-effective (it saves you money);
- reduces [greenhouse gas emissions](http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/index.html "Greenhouse Gas Emissions") and improves our electric reliability;
- includes technologies that already exist with more being developed for buildings, homes, transportation, power systems, and industry;
- holds great potential for creating lots of jobs, from plumbers to energy auditors, architects to air conditioning technicians.

Those of us who work in energy efficiency are happy to have the full support of the new presidential administration, but not everything happens at the national level. There are initiatives states and cities can undertake and things that individuals can do to reduce their energy consumption and lower their bills. Learn ways to [save energy and money](http://www.fightglobalwarming.com/page.cfm?tagID=267 "Save Energy and Money") at home.

I’ll be posting more to this blog in the coming weeks and look forward to comments and creating a dialogue about how we can make energy efficiency happen in Texas.