U.S. Rep. Ed Markey joined the Blue Green Alliance, Communications Workers of America, Sierra Club, and Progressive States Network as they released a new report Networking the Green Economy: How Broadband and Related Technologies Can Build a Green Economic Future, which illustrates how smart buildings, smart grids, telehealth, teleconferencing, digital education – all of which are part of a highly-networked economy – will reduce carbon dioxide emissions, conserve energy resources, and promote and retain good, green jobs.
The report notes that, according to The Climate Group, transforming the way people and businesses use technology can reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 13-22 percent by 2020, and potentially see gross energy and fuel savings of $140-$240 billion. This report provides research and recommendations to achieve these goals and it details three broad areas of energy savings from networked technology that can help achieve energy savings and environmental goals.
- Smart grids to improve the transmission, management, and distribution of energy; smart technologies, like smart meters or other demand management tools that reduce energy use at home or office;
- Broadband-based services including telehealth, long-distance business communication; and
- E-commerce to reduce travel and associated fuel costs.
You can view the press release here and check out the full report here.
Reuters covered the report release, quoting Blue Green Alliance Executive Director David Foster as saying: “In the same way that building the interstate freeway system brought the United States out of the post-World War Two recession … a clean energy economy is exactly what we need in recession-bound America to put people back to work.”
The FCC is set to release their National Broadband Plan — that will illustrate how to ensure that every American has access to broadband technology — on March 17th.