Mark Clayton

More than a dozen efficiency efforts are set for trims or elimination as the administration pushes long-term projects.

New greenhouse-gas emissions from China, India, and the US will swamp cuts from the Kyoto treaty.

Short of radically altering America’s driving habits, the United States cannot achieve energy independence without spending billions of dollars on new initiatives. And no political consensus exists to spend those sums despite decades of promises to cut oil imports. But new plans are emerging that might sway lawmakers.

A rising chorus of experts … offer[s] a dramatic solution for America’s energy woes. By boosting the efficiency of cars, homes, and offices, the United States could dramatically cut its reliance on foreign oil and forgo building many new power plants. The solution would not only be easier than drilling for more energy, it would be cheaper, these experts say.

Each summer as 120-degree heat shimmers silver waves across the Mojave Desert, residents of this inferno crank the thermostat down. Air-conditioner compressors and fan motors often run 24-hours a day and for weeks on end.