EPA Monitors Major Utility Users To Promote Energy Conservation

Roughly 300 different consumers of water and electricity must now register a utility usage plan with the Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of this is to monitor heavy users of energy & water and ensure that they are not consuming too much. Commercial businesses, industrial locations and any other major consumers have until the end of March 2008 to submit a plan with the EPA.

This new rule being enforced by the EPA applies to those that used over one hundred terajoules of energy, or 120 megalitres of water between 2006 and 2007. These consumers will be required to create resource usage tactics in order to promote water and energy conservation. According to Terry A'Hearn, the director of sustainable development for the EPA, those who are registered in this efficiency program will save roughly 85 million dollars after 10 years of participation.

Since this program was created in the name of environmentalism, the EPA did not release a lot of information about punishment or penalties for those that don't cooperate. There is a possibility of a 1000-dollar fine for those who do not comply, according to A'hearn, but he also mentioned that this measure would be a last resort.