Discussion highlights:

• There was broad agreement that energy efficiency and conservation represent the most effective way to offset the growth in energy demand
• Transportation was seen as the biggest area for improvement – respondents called for the introduction of more efficient diesel-electric hybrids and all-electric cars
• Respondents saw energy efficiency and conservation opportunities as going hand-in-glove with reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to minimize climate impacts
• It was suggested that reduced energy use is only part of an overall solution that also includes phasing out fossil fuels and expanding low-carbon renewable energy sources such as geothermal, solar, and wind
• Generally, the sense was that transforming our energy sector should be done by private industry, though individual responsibility and action is seen as a catalyst for responses from businesses

Energy efficiency and conservation are the “lowest-hanging fruit” available to curb the growth in energy demand, as participants in this discussion emphasized. They recommended a number of technological innovations to save energy as well as changes in lifestyles and urban designs that were predicated on the assumption that energy would always be cheap and plentiful. The most frequent suggestions involved transportation, with the principal responsibility resting on the shoulders of private industry but with government providing research, efficiency standards, and incentives.