“Technology currently available and under development has the potential to revolutionize America’s energy picture on a scale comparable to the way the Internet is revolutionizing commerce,” said Brian Halla, chairman and chief executive officer of National Semiconductor Corporation and member of the SIA board of directors. “Chip-enabled technologies will soon deliver solutions to the complex problems involved in harnessing solar and wind power and integrating electricity from these sources into the nation’s distribution grid. New technologies can also achieve dramatic efficiencies in the use of energy in homes, factories, commercial buildings, and all modes of transportation. With smart policies and aggressive adoption of new technologies, the grim scenarios of living in an energy-starved world will not come to pass,” Halla concluded.
In the absence of such technologies, the US will require an additional 296 large electric power plants, and consumers and businesses will need to spend an additional $126 billion.
SIA has proposed many public policies to improve adoption of technologies that will achieve the energy savings recognized in the ACEEE report. These recommendations include tax incentives for adoption of energy-efficient products and components, federal support for research and development, and new energy-efficiency standards.
