Economists, advocates square off over efficiency

摘要

For energy efficiency, it's time to put up or shut up. With energy efficiency playing a big role in U.S. EPA's Clean Power Plan for curbing the power sector's greenhouse gas emissions and the Department of Energy continuing its rollout of power-sipping standards for appliances, hard questions are being asked about whether taxpayers are getting a good bang for their buck. It's economists versus advocates. "In a way, we are speaking different languages," explained Arik Levinson, a professor at Georgetown University and a former senior economist for President Obama's White House Council of Economic Advisers.