Energy Conservation in the Bell System

The Nation and telecommunications systems are confronted with a continuing energy problem resulting from limited resources to meet an ever increasing demand. The Bell System provides numerous examples of ways in which demand for energy may be reduced, resulting in conservation of resources and preservation of the environment. The Bell System provides a telecommunications network linking nearly 185 million telephones and handling in excess of 790 million calls a day. In providing telecommunications services, the Bell System employs more than one million people, utilizes almost 30,000 buildings, and operates more than 195,000 motor vehicles (the world´s largest owned and operated private fleet). However, the Bell System is not energy intensive. It uses only about one tenth of one percent of the Nation´s energy, while contributing over two percent of the gross national product. Following the 1973 oil embargo, the Bell System applied its full resources to determine and implement ways of conserving energy. In 1980, the Bell System used 10% less energy than in this period of 1973, while the volume of business increased 73% and the number of telephones in service increased more than 30%. As a result of energy conservation, 30% less energy was used in 1980 than would have been used without energy conservation. The Companies of the Bell System have an energy budget commitment objective to use significantly less energy in 1986 than was used in 1973.