Southeast Energy Policy Briefs

Local Clean Power

Southeast states seeking solutions to current and future energy challenges have a major opportunity to use existing technology to harness local renewable energy resources. Our regional assessment, drawing on recent government and regional studies, suggests sufficient renewable energy resources to meet as much as 30 percent of the Southeast’s electric power needs within the next 15 years.

Download Full Regional Report (PDF, 1.2 Mb)

State Fact Sheets:

• Alabama (PDF, 209 Kb)
• Florida (PDF, 205 Kb)
• Georgia (PDF, 208 Kb)
• Mississippi (PDF, 235 Kb)
• North Carolina (PDF, 212 Kb)
• South Carolina (PDF, 207 Kb)
• Tennessee (PDF, 221 Kb)

Power of Efficiency

Abundant efficiency opportunities in the Southeast can help meet regional energy needs. Efficiency investments can lead to economic and environmental benefits across several sectors by reducing demand for electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuels. This brief focuses on efficiency’s role in meeting future electric power needs. With prompt policy action, energy efficiency improvements could reduce electricity use more than 10 percent by 2015 and 20 percent by 2025.

Download Full Regional Report (English, PDF, 1.0 Mb)

State Fact Sheets:

• Alabama (PDF, 259 Kb)
• Florida (PDF, 259 Kb)
• Georgia (PDF, 259 Kb)
• Mississippi (PDF, 259 Kb)
• North Carolina (PDF, 259 Kb)
• South Carolina (PDF, 259 Kb)
• Tennessee (PDF, 259 Kb)
• Virginia (PDF, 259 Kb)

Water and Watts

The Southeast faces immense challenges in meeting the water and energy needs of a growing population. Efforts to ensure an adequate supply of one resource must recognize impacts on the other. In this brief, without minimizing the importance of other energy-water relationships, we focus on these primary links in the Southeast: 1) Water demands for electric power production, and 2) Energy demands for heating and treating water and wastewater.

Download Full Regional Report (PDF, 503 Kb)

State Fact Sheets:

• Alabama (PDF, 296 Kb)
• Florida (PDF, 295 Kb)
• Georgia (PDF, 301 Kb)
• Mississippi (PDF, 300 Kb)
• North Carolina (PDF, 299 Kb)
• South Carolina (PDF, 293 Kb)
• Tennessee (PDF, 293 Kb)
• Virginia (PDF, 325 Kb)

Energy By the Numbers (Data Supplement)

Drawing primarily on data published by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), this report presents a “snapshot” of the Southeast’s regional energy-related statistics and trends. It also discusses important implications to help inform and provide context for the policy priorities noted in the series of companion reports on Southeast energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water and energy savings opportunities.

Download (PDF, 925 Kb)

State Fact Sheets:

• Alabama (PDF, 280 Kb)
• Florida (PDF, 278 Kb)
• Georgia (PDF, 280 Kb)
• Mississippi (PDF, 279 Kb)
• North Carolina (PDF, 286 Kb)
• South Carolina (PDF, 285 Kb)
• Tennessee (PDF, 282 Kb)
• Virginia (PDF, 325 Kb)

We would like to thank the following organizations who have provided financial support for our work in the Southeast:

• Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation
• Energy Foundation
• Oak Foundation
• Robertson Foundation
• Southern Energy Efficiency Center
• Turner Foundation
• UK Global Opportunities Fund
• U.S. Department of Energy
• WestWind Foundation