Have Department of Energy Conservation Programs Saved Energy?

This article discusses the results of 2 alternative approaches for estimating the energy- savings impact of Department of Energy (DOE) conservation programs. The first approach analyzed program-by-program estimates that indicated DOEprograms reduced U. S. energy use by more than 0.5 quadrillion BTUs or about 86 million barrels of oil. The second approach was an econometric analysis of aggregate energy use data that produced an estimate of energy savings 10 times greater than the first approach, but with a strong price effect interaction. The limitations of both approaches preclude reaching unambigu ous conclusions.