ABSTRACT
To fit the major conservation initiatives discussed earlier into the context of policy implementation, let us summarize them at this point. As noted in chapter 5, the United States has significant potential for energy savings -judged by economic and technological criteria. While some opportunities are available at today's prices, many more conservation practices would come into play if prices rose modestly. The case studies in this book focused on improved residential heating practices, better automotive fuel economy, and the combined production of electricity and process steam in industry. Aside from improvements that can reasonably be foreseen for the near future, there are many other instances in which conservation prospects justify optimism-even considering only present-day technology. For a number of reasons, however, some technologically feasible and cost-effective conservation measures may not be adopted unless policy changes take place.
