By The Numbers
In light of the nation’s population exceeding 300 million, the future energy needs of the building sector was a central topic at the Washington-based U.S. Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) Second National Summit on Energy and the Environment, held in October. During the conference, USCM released a report on metro economies that forecast building-related energy costs for the next 25 years. USCM predicts further growth and recommends that local governments encourage energy conservation and the use of green technology.
365 million is the projected population of the United States in 2031.
40 million homes are expected to be built in the next 25 years.
$ 500 billion is the expected cost of energy for new buildings over the next 25 years.
4 quadrillion more BTUs of energy will be needed to fuel new buildings by 2031.
5.7 percent of the nation’s household spending in 2005 was on energy.
Source: The U.S. Conference of Mayors “U.S. Household Budgets: Energy and Housing Costs” report.