Energy Efficiency Incentives Touted in State of the Union

In his State of the Union address on Wednesday night, President Obama suggested that financial incentives for energy efficiency may be here to stay. Well, at least for the next few years.

As part of a laundry list of ways the U.S. could reduce its energy consumption, he argued that providing rebates and other incentives to people who make concerted efforts to save energy should be a top priority. “To create more clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives,” he said.

This would be good news for consumers and business owners. Energy Smart helps businesses lower their energy consumption and save money. And we’ve found that, the more incentives available -- whether they're utility rebates, grants or low-interest loans -- the more likely a business owner will take action and make upgrades. It also can drastically help speed up the payback time by putting money in the business owners' pockets. (Some utility rebates, for instance, cover 40% or more of the energy upgrade’s cost.)

Businesses can take any savings they get from their incentives and their upgrades and invest it in their operations and new jobs. It’s a win for them, and a win for the U.S. economy.

What kind of financial incentives for energy efficiency would you like to see from the federal government?