According to a recent Associated Press report, the federal government spent $6.2 billion in 2006 on electricity, heating and air conditioning for buildings belonging to 21 agencies alone.
"If we do that effectively, then over the long term we are going to save billions of dollars in energy costs for the federal government and for taxpayers," Obama was quoted as saying at a recent press conference.
The AP noted that the government had set a previous goal of cutting energy use by 30 percent by 2015 - although it also cited a report from the General Accounting Office suggesting that while early progress has been made toward those goals, it may require investments of just over a billion dollars a year to ultimately succeed.
Meanwhile, energy efficiency is a goal that individual homeowners can strive for as well when it comes to cutting costs and showing support for the environment. Some homeowners choose to make substantial investments in renewable energy equipment, while others can realize substantial savings by making relatively minor home improvements.
