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(Information from the Texas Government Land Office)
Why Conserve
Houstonians have always been about taking action and making things happen. With rising energy costs and political instability across our world, what better time to make ourselves less energy dependent than NOW? Each of us can do some simple things to reduce our dependency on energy and equally as important save ourselves money with lower utility bills.
We have always been the energy capital of the world. Let's extend that to being the energy conservation capital of the world. We know how to get things done!
Each of us can take steps towards increased energy independence. It makes financial sense. It is good for our country. And it is good for our future. Houston can take the lead in becoming more energy efficient.
Energy conservation has been called the "least-cost" energy strategy, and for good reason. Energy conservation does more than just save money. It reduces environmental and social costs as well.
Energy conservation mitigates the numerous adverse environmental and social impacts associated with energy production and consumption. These include air pollution, acid rain and global warming, oil spills and water pollution, loss of wilderness areas, construction of new power plants, foreign energy dependence and the risk of international conflict over energy supplies.
Energy conservation extends the lifetime of equipment and reduces the maintenance cost by operating less hours and at less than maximum capacity.
In essence, energy conservation means reduced energy, which means reduced emissions and lower utility bills.
The City of Houston is leading by example in reducing its energy consumption:
- City of Houston Operations has reduced energy costs by switching nearly 8,000 of its light fixtures in city-owned facilities to more energy efficient bulbs.
- The City has already adopted the LEED Certification standards for construction of city-owned facilities.
- The City has contracted a portion of its energy portfolio for City of Houston operations, as renewable wind energy, with plans to continually increase the portion over the next few years.
- The City is reducing energy with the purchase of energy efficient devices for all existing beverage vending machines in city facilities, and in addition to retrofitting the existing machines, 50 new ENERGY STAR rated vending machines were added as well.
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Home Energy Audit
A home energy audit is often the first step in making your home more efficient. An audit can help you assess how much energy your home uses and evaluate what measures you can take to improve efficiency. But remember, audits alone don't save energy. You need to implement the recommended improvements.
You can conduct a do-it-your-self audit, or higher a professional energy auditor to do a more extensive audit.
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Power to People
 In 2007, former Mayor Bill White joined officials from Centerpoint Energy, Wal Mart, Sam's Club and other corporate sponsors to launch a campaign designed to educate Houstonians on options to reduce energy consumption and save money. The campaign is called Houston Power to People.
Through research and analysis we identified five simple steps that every Houstonian could take to cut energy consumption. All five steps are actions Houstonians can immediately and inexpensively take to minimize energy consumption in their homes.
The program was kicked off with volunteers who went door-to-door to homes in the Houston area handing out nearly 10,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs, (on May 19, 2007). Displays were also set up at retail outlets throughout the Houston area to provide information on the five steps.
Residents are encouraged to log on to the website at www.houstonpowertopeople.com for options to save money. This website encourages and educates Houstonians to take the five simple steps to reduce their energy. Energy saving calculators were created for resident to calculate the personal savings that they can expect by following each of the five simple steps.
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Consumer Choice
 Electricity bills have skyrocketed over the last five years. But, many businesses and families have paid less because they shopped around. Others have chosen power from sources which pollute less.
Former Mayor Bill White had asked electricity providers to offer lower prices and fixed prices to Houston consumers. The prices of some companies are much lower than others, and there are "green power" alternatives which create far fewer harmful emissions. The City of Houston required all responding electricity providers to meet specific standards of financial strength.
We urge Houstonians to become informed electricity consumers. Informed consumers have saved hundreds of dollars on utility bills according to the Texas Public Utility Commission. You should also know your choice of power supplier does not affect the reliability; Center Point Energy is responsible for that.
After this year, neither the City nor the Public Utility Commission will have as much control over electricity rates. So, consumers must take some responsibility for protecting themselves when the price rises too much.
Some people may prefer to buy the cheapest possible electricity. Others may choose a supplier offering "green power." It's your choice . And remember to conserve energy whenever you can.
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Energy Tax Credits
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits
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Neighbor Electric Vehicles
A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is an all-electric, plug-in car which is street legal on public streets having a posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour, but not greater, and is an alternative for those striving to be more energy efficient.
The NEV provides the driver with an alternative to expensive fossil fuels and an opportunity to significantly reduce their carbon footprint, because they operate on only a fraction of the fossil fuels as a standard vehicle. NEVs are charged by plugging them into a standard 110v electrical outlet, which typically charges in 4 to 10 hours. The vehicles usually obtain a 30 mile range per charge, making them perfect for short-trip neighborhood operation. The largest source of gasoline vehicle emissions occurs during short-trip operations.
Because these vehicles run solely on electricity, they have the potential to provide significant air quality benefits. Other benefits also include lower vehicle cost, reduced noise in communities, reduced parking pressures and low operating and maintenance costs.
By using solar or wind power to generate these vehicles, they have the potential to run fossil fuel free.
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Resources
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