In addition to reducing customers’ energy bills, energy efficiency and conservation measures improve regional and local air quality by reducing air pollution as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower water use, and cause less environmental damages resulting from fossil fuel extraction. The environmental benefits of energy efficiency in turn can improve public health by diminishing our everyday exposure to harmful air and water pollution.

Energy saving opportunities can be categorized as an energy supply resource, offsetting a measurable capacity of traditional energy resources.  In this way, energy efficiency is another way of increasing the diversity of our energy supply. Acquiring new energy supply through energy efficiency costs less that 3 cents per kilowatt-hour compared to the average of 7-13 cents per kilowatt-hour from conventional sources.  

As a least-cost supply resource, energy efficiency helps protect against price volatility and supply disruption by decreasing the amount of electricity or fuel needed during times when demand and price are high. Similarly, by reducing the demand or strain on the electric grid, energy efficiency can improve transmission and distribution performance.

Along with all these cost and health benefits, energy efficiency creates new economic development opportunities for Delaware. Energy audits, installations, weatherization, even manufacturing of high efficiency appliances, vehicles and homes can create a wealth of well-paying jobs for Delawareans. Recent studies show that 15-17 direct and indirect job-years are created per million dollars invested in the energy efficiency sector. This is because money saved from lowered energy bills is often redirect toward other activities that increase local and national employment, with a higher employment impact than if the money had been spent to purchase energy (ACEEE, 2009).