Canada, Mexico, United States Consider Energy Efficiency Cooperation Plan

North America may work together towards a new energy efficiency plan.

In 2001, the North American Energy Work Group (NAEWG) was formed, then in 2006 the North American Energy Security Initiative (NAESI) followed, now government officials are talking about a new level of intra-continental cooperation. The plan, put forward by NAEWG, will focus on energy efficiency, as it is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to reduce energy use, while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions. NAEWG‘s plan calls for cooperation between Mexico, the United States and Canada and this month the discussions among the group embers are expected to increase. "This will make life easier for manufacturers of appliances, lighting products and electrical equipment," an U.S. Energy Department official said. The U.S. Energy Star program will be one of the principal focuses of this new plan. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that is designed to save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Other focuses are, sharing vehicle fuel-economy and other transportation-efficiency technologies among the three countries and integrating all three energy systems to increase savings, new technology and trade. Biofuels, hydrogen, clean coal and carbon capture and storage will also be under consideration by NAEWG. Does this sound like an effective approach to global climate change to you? Or does it sound like a way to move product? Or another approach to free trade within North America?