Good morning. Thank you, Asst. Sec. Faulkner, for that kind introduction, and thank you, everyone, for being here today. I am honored to be joining Energy Secretary Bodman to inform you about important partnerships between the Alliance and the Department of Energy that are designed to empower consumers to save energy and money. These initiatives are important not only to providing relief to consumers and businesses now reeling from high energy costs, but also our partnerships seek to benefit the nation as a whole. Consumers are the critical key to lowering overall energy demand in the U.S. quickly, which will, in turn, improve our economy, our national security and our environment.
The Secretary's personal participation in both the Powerful $avings Campaign and the Energy Hog campaign underscores this administration's commitment to helping Americans insulate themselves from the anticipated record-setting fuel costs this winter. From President Bush's strong message to the country about the importance of conserving gasoline to the new and expanded initiatives that Secretary Bodman will detail in a moment, the Administration is working hard to employ energy efficiency as the quickest, cleanest and cheapest means of extending our nation's energy supplies and easing the upward pressure on energy costs.
And public education and outreach initiatives -- like Powerful Savings and the Energy Hog campaigns -- do make a difference. Through the Powerful $avings campaign, which was first launched in 2004 at the start of the summer driving, we already have reached nearly 50 million consumers, through print and broadcast media, with information and tips on lowering costs at the pump and in the home.
Under our joint campaigns, DOE and the Alliance will continue to educate consumers that the best way to protect themselves against rising energy costs is by using energy efficient technologies and what we call "smart energy practices." Consumers cannot control energy prices, but they can control their own energy use which will help to control their monthly energy costs.
As the leaves begin to turn, consumers are busy preparing their homes for the winter heating season. In response, we have put the Powerful $avings and Energy Hog campaigns into overdrive to focus on providing useful information, and low-cost and no-cost tips, on ways that homeowners can winterize to manage their heating bills through smart energy use and energy efficiency. For example, our campaigns will talk about the importance of insulation and sealing air leaks, the energy and money savings that accrue from dialing back the thermostat when no one is home, and the role that Energy Star-labeled products can play in helping to control energy use and costs.
How much can America save through using energy efficiency as our most immediate and greatest indigenous resource? If the past is any guide, the potential is enormous. As the graph behind me shows, Alliance researchers have found that over the past 30 years, energy efficiency and conservation measures have met about 40 percent of annual U.S. energy demand.
But mining this resource to its greatest potential will take much work. Like the Department of Energy, the Alliance is going beyond the Powerful Savings and Energy Hog campaigns, undertaking a full suite of education initiatives to enlist consumers in our efforts to advance energy efficiency.
For example, we recently released our latest radio and TV public service ads, dubbed "Super Powers," which use humor to grab viewers' and listeners' attention and get the energy-efficiency message across. And, we continue to expand the information available to consumers on the Alliance website, www.ase.org/consumers, to provide a wealth of year-round energy- and money-saving information. Finally, we have just launched an online database of state energy-efficiency programs and incentives so that consumers can "click-on" their home state and find out what type of assistance or incentives might be available to help them make efficiency upgrades
All of these activities, as well as the DOE initiatives that Secretary Bodman is about to announce, will help to "bring home" the energy-efficiency message and help to "insulate" Americans against high energy bills this winter.
