A new national study commissioned by the Consumer Electronics Association shows is touting electronics and telecommuting as a key to reducing overall energy consumption in the United. Telecommuting saves the equivalent of 9 to 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year — the same amount of energy used by roughly 1 million U.S. households every year — the report released this week has found.
The findings also indicate the estimated 3.9 million telecommuters in the United States reduced gasoline consumption by about 840 million gallons, while curbing carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 14 million tons. This level of CO2 reduction is equal to removing 2 million vehicles from the road every year.
The study, The Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impact of Telecommuting and e-Commerce, was commissioned by CEA to determine energy savings and CO2 reductions that result from the nation’s increased use of electronics, such as personal computers and wireless networks.
“This report demonstrates that consumer electronics are part of a climate change solution, as the use of electronics is preventing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing fossil fuel consumption,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA. “Statistics have been available to detail how much energy electronics use, but less was known about the environmental benefits of consumer products developed by our industry when used to communicate and conduct business.”
For more information or to read a complete copy of the report, click here (warning: PDF link).
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