5 July 2011: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published an information paper titled “Saving Electricity in a Hurry: Update 2011,” which elaborates how countries can avoid or minimize economic, social and environmental impacts of electricity shortages if emergency energy saving strategies are developed in advance of crises.

The paper highlights preliminary findings and conclusions from energy shortage experiences of the last five years in Japan, the US, New Zealand, South Africa and Chile. It then explores steps for mitigating electricity shortfalls and discussing other considerations in electricity emergency management. The report describes three steps for mitigating electricity shortfalls: analyzing the cause and duration of an electricity shortfall; identifying opportunities for energy savings; and implementing a package of demand-side energy-saving tools such as price signals, behavior changes, technology replacements, rationing and market mechanisms.

It recommends that governments consider the following questions when designing crisis energy-saving strategies: what kinds of electricity shortfalls are most likely given country context? How and when is energy used, and where are emergency energy savings possible? Which measures can lead to the most energy savings in the shortest time and at the lowest cost? Which combinations of emergency energy-saving tools (price signals, information campaigns, technology replacement, rationing, and market mechanisms) are effective? Who will be tasked with managing the emergency energy‐saving campaign? Which stakeholders will provide support to the lead, and how? [IEA Press Release][Publication: Saving Electricity in a Hurry: Update 2011]