In 2000, Vermont began an aggressive program to reduce statewide energy consumption.  Since then, they have been able to proudly say they have one of the country's most innovative and successful conservation initiatives.  But for all its innovations, it hasn't been easy or cheap, and still has quite a long way to go.

At the helm of the state's attempts to conserve energy is Efficiency Vermont, a nonprofit consulting group established by the Vermont legislature.  Vermont spends more money per person - $46 a year - to eliminate energy waste than any other state.  Funded by a fee tacked onto electricity bills, the organization works with every category of residential, commercial, and industrial electricity users in the state. 

With the goal of improving the state's environment and economy, Efficiency Vermont uses a combination of financial assistance, web tips, rebates to encourage consumers to buy energy-efficient products, and expertise to help clients lessen the quantity of electricity they consume.

When someone wants to "green up" their home or business, Efficiency Vermont will send engineers to the site to inspect how energy is currently being used there, and will give suggestions on how to reduce consumption.  

Hazelett Strip-Casting Corp., a company that produces machines used by sheet-metal manufacturers, used to use a lot of energy to run its factory.  But since Efficiency Vermont visited the site, the amount has decreased.

"When we went through this whole audit," says the factory's facilities manager Alan Landry, "we really learned at that time we weren't running these [machines] as efficiently as possible.

With the nonprofit's help, the business replaced some of its oldest machines with much more efficient models.  The efficiency experts also disposed of 97 old energy-hogging light fixtures.  The area is now brightly lit with super-efficient fluorescent bulbs.  

Hazlett Strip-Casting's electric bill is expected to drop $42,000 a year from the changes.  And since Efficiency Vermont contributed $22,000 in capital to make the project possible, the company's own capital investment in the new equipment will pay for itself in saved energy bills in just eight months.

Similar energy efficiency improvements were implemented at Vermont's Caledonia Community Work Camp and the Northern State Correctional Facility.  With the help of a $125,000 federal grant, Vermont's Department of Buildings and General Services was able to institute energy-efficiency improvements at their facilities, saving a projected $15,000 per year in energy bills.

Although the "saving energy, one building at a time" concept is becoming popular in Vermont, energy use is continuing to grow in the state at 1.5 percent per year.  Considering that the state's population has been growing at 2.3 percent per year in the eight years that Efficiency Vermont has been in business, it appears that the growth in electricity demand per person is decreasing, albeit slightly.

Since Vermont is unique in having far less air-conditioning needs than southern states and relies mostly on nuclear and wind power to generate electricity, the state's program to lower energy use could be a model for states that sucks up more electricity. Return on investment for energy-hungry states would be far greater than in Vermont, where the air remains cleaner from cleaner burning energy sources, and the homes stay cool much of the year.  

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