Published: 1976
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This briefing book is designed to give a concise overview of the facts of the energy situation in New England and of attitudes within the region towards current energy issues. Many of the central problems of U.S. energy policy are manifested in the region in a magnified form. The region entered the period of energy shortages and increasing prices in an economically declining condition. Manufacturing activity and jobs were being lost to other regions of the country, and personal income was increasing at significantly slower rates. Energy prices were already high in 1970, 30 percent higher than the rest of the country. The difference would increase to 38 percent by 1974. With essentially no indigenous energy resources, New England is an energy-importing region; over 60 percent of the fuels it consumes is imported from abroad. Although the future supply of energy to the region is critically dependent on energy resource policies, policies related for example to coal and oil shale development, the region's concerns cluster around policies and technologies that are perceived to have a more direct impact on its energy welfare. Thus, energy conservation, solar energy, nuclear power, offshore oil development and, in general, the price of energy to the region are paramount issues of concern and debate. A New England energy policy is discussed in an appendix. (MCW).
