Chernobyl Nuclear Accident Congressional Hearings Transcript

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To encourage this implementation, businesses and individuals need access to conservation
information and conservation technology.®^ In economies which valued
energy consumption as a symbol of progress, and conservation as a symbol of poverty,
it is unreasonable to assume that consumer of energy possess the means to improve
their energy efficiency. As a result, international assistance is needed to encourage
conservation and provide the technology necessary to save energy.
2. International Assistance
Governments and international agencies must disseminate information about conservation
technologies, as well as the benefits of conservation. Technologies such as
compact fluorescent light bulbs and improved insulation of pipes and buildings represent
just a few of the vast number of efficiency technologies available for use.®'' A
study by the US AID (Agency for International Development) lists many simple and
cost-effective measures for Eastern European industry.
Some low-cost, quick payback measures frequently recommended for the plants
studied by AID include: continuous oxygen analyzers for stack gas analysis; infrared
thermometers for the identification of heat loss sources; heat meters; steam flow
meters, leak detectors, and steam traps; electric power demand diagnostic equipment;
other diagnostic equipment such as pressure recorders, thermometers and humidity
meters, industrial stethoscopes, and gas flowmeters.®^ Observe that much of
this equipment is diagnostic: many plant operators do not know when, where, or if
they are wasting energy.
The study further lists some energy efficiency improvements: energy-efficient
lighting and control systems; high-efficiency gas and oil burners, and automatic control
systems for existing and future boilers; energy management control systems for
commercial and industrial use; high efficiency refrigeration systems; electricity
demand management systems; industrial pipe insulation; condensate extraction boilers;
incinerators which include heat recovery units; waste heat boilers; variable
speed controls installed on electric motor drives.®^
As a further measure, governments could set standards for energy efficiency. Although
this would increase the cost of domestic production, that rise would be countered
by the increase in foreign marketability of products; in turn, increased exports
could help offset the initial jump in fixed cost from improved design.'" In addition,
the savings in energy use will be particularly significant, given the especially wasteful
design of Hungarian products.'* As a final possibility, Hungarian utilities could
follow the example of US utilities, by directly investing in efficiency. Pacific Gas
and Electric, for example, the United States' largest private utility, estimates that it
can get three-quarters of Its additional power needs over the next decade through
efficiency gains as simple as improved insulation, replacement of incandescent bulbs
with fluorescent versions, and cogeneration technology. '^
Energy could also be saved in the transportation sector, which is likely to experience
a great deal of growth with the advent of increasing economic liberalization
and expanded productivity. If public transportation is not supported now, it may be
shut out in the future, as rapid economic growth may fuel the rise of the personal
auto. To encourage the development of efficiency in this sector, public transportation
should be provided, and energy efficiency standards should be applied. These
standards should penalize polluters; low energy efficiency should be taxed for the
cost it exacts from the environment.'^ By substituting for nuclear power without
increasing emission levels, conservation also avoids contributing to the high levels
of pollution already experienced throughout the region.
3. Particular Opportunities in Hungary
a. The Impact of Waste Reduction
Just as the other economies of Eastern Europe, Hungary wastes tremendous
amounts of power. Although it produces a mere quarter of Japan's output. Its per
capita energy consumption equals that of Japan.'*
As is the case throughout Eastern Europe, Hungarian industry uses a significantly
larger portion of total energy production, in comparison to the other industrialized
nations, both because Hungary harbors a disproportionate amount of energyintensive
heavy industries, and because its industries use energy inefficiently.
Market reform has begun to solve the first problem;'^ in 1990, heavy industrial
output declined by 10 percent and continued to decline in 1991. This trend has
played a role in decreased energy demand, which fell 7 percent in the first 9 months
of 1991. The government has estimated that this restructuring will account for twothirds
of the total reduction in energy intensity, while efficiency will have to account
for the remaining third.'® The emerging unemployment can be turned around