Dan Reicher, Google's director of climate change and energy initiatives, went to Capitol Hill yesterday. He testified before the Joint Economic Committee on several topics, including climate change and providing energy for poor families. The hearing was called "Efficiency: The Hidden Secret to Solving Our Energy Crisis."

Reicher's testimony centered on one proposal in particular — a 'weatherization' plan intended to cut heat and electricity bills in 10 million low-income homes in the next ten years. Senator Charles E. Schumer, the chairman of the joint committee, was especially interested in the proposal, according to an interview with the New York Times. "I am very interested in the low-income home weatherization program,” he said. “And I’m going to put in some legislation to move it up."

During his testimony, Reicher also addressed the role that information technology is playing in efforts to solve the U.S.'s energy problems: "The increasing interplay between energy hardware and information software — and the corresponding rise of the Internet and the connectivity it brings — adds to the potential to make and to use energy more productively. From smart meters and smart appliances to smart homes and a smart grid, we are poised to significantly advance our ability to monitor and manage energy."

Image — Google