Energy conservation: A role for CSIT

It has been acknowledged and asserted by many cognizant authorities, including the IEEE [1] and authors from the Harvard Business School [2], that conservation of energy should be the component of national energy policy having the highest priority. Conservation is the “energy source” capable of making available significant amounts of additional energy most quickly, with the least capital expenditure and the least damage to the environment of any proposed source. The purpose of this article is to examine some of the obstacles to a more vigorous pursuit of energy conservation, and to suggest ways in which CSIT members might advance the cause of energy conservation.