Energy efficiency is one of the best ways to contrast the public debt and the economic and social crisis, said the European Commissioner in charge of Climate Action Connie Hedegaard, at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The energy efficiency industry is a structural investment that can prevent the huge debt of European countries from growing. Moreover, it can create 500,000 jobs until 2020, an urgent need now that unemployment has reached growing levels in the Euro zone.
Several technologies help improve energy efficiency and, once fully developed, they can produce a remarkable increase of new jobs. These are high-efficiency coal, energy storage, the widespread use of smart grids causing the full integration into the grid of renewable energy. Additionally, remote service management and an integrated model of electric mobility. Enel has been a pioneer in all these fields, beginning with the introduction of electronic meters in Italy, a technology that is presently conquering the whole of Europe and has granted the Group an acknowledged global leadership.
Additionally, suitable Energy efficiency policies could facilitate the reduction of fossil fuel imports to Europe, especially oil fuel. In 2011, 315 billion euros were spent by European countries to pay for these imports.
