SALT LAKE CITY, UT -U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Kevin Kolevar today launched the 2007 Change a Light, Change the World campaign, encouraging every American to change at least one light at home to an ENERGY STAR® Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL.) Assistant Secretary Kolevar kicked-off the national effort during a visit to Wasatch Elementary School in Salt Lake City where he encouraged students and the community to change at least one light at home to a CFL which use 75 percent less energy than standard bulbs and last up to ten times longer, resulting in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and substantial energy cost savings.
''This campaign is about taking simple actions to have a big impact and every American can change a light to a CFL to save energy and protect the environment,'' Assistant Secretary Kolevar said. ''I join the President in encouraging all Americans to be more energy efficient by changing a light.''
The Assistant Secretary visited two sixth grade classes at Wasatch to discuss the importance of saving energy and how every family can participate in the Change a Light campaign. Kolevar was joined by representatives from Governor Huntsman's office and Utah Clean Energy, a local Energy Star® partner.
The nationwide effort to encourage Americans to use CFLs begins today, ENERGY STAR® Change a Light Day. At the heart of the Change a Light effort is the online pledge to use CFLs at home. Already over 500,000 people have taken the pledge.
Lighting accounts for nearly 20 percent of the average home's electric bill. Each CFL can save up to $30 in energy costs over its extended lifetime by using 75 percent less energy than a traditional bulb. If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.
Assistant Secretary Kolevar is joining with others in the federal government, as well as with leaders of all levels from across the country to celebrate ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day and encourage Americans to use energy wisely at work and at home. Like changing a light bulb, simple actions taken at home help preserve our energy resources and reduce the risks of global climate change. The national educational campaign is run in partnership with The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and hundreds of retail stores, manufacturers, energy efficiency organizations, and state and territory governments.
