KUALA LUMPUR: A bill on energy efficiency and conservation for a more comprehensive coordination and effective regulation by the Energy Commission will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next year, said Energy and Natural Resources Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.

He said the ministry was in the process of preparing a draft of the bill which would strengthen the legal framework related to energy efficiency and conservation to ensure full involvement at various levels of institutions and organisations.

"Based on an analysis by the Energy Commission, implementation of the (proposed) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act will be able to save energy consumption of 1,447 million giga joules or 258.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

"This is equivalent to a saving of RM71.24 billion for a period of 16 years," he said in his speech at the presentation of prizes to winners of the Energy Efficiency Challenge 2021 organised by the Energy Commission here today.

Takiyuddin said the implementation of the law would be able to create more than 1,500 jobs, including as energy managers, energy auditors and trainees for training institutions.

As of October this year, he said, the government had managed to achieve cumulative energy savings of 4.3 per cent through the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) initiative compared to the initial target of 3.9 per cent for 2021.

He said the government had previously set a target of eight per cent reduction in electricity consumption by 2025, which is equivalent to 52,223 giga watt hours for a period of 10 years through the initiative.

The minister praised the Energy Commission's initiative which is committed to cultivating an energy efficient life among the young generation, especially school students, through the organisation of the competition which has now entered its seventh year.

Such energy efficiency programmes and initiatives should be given priority in supporting the country's development policies and aspirations, he added.

-- BERNAMA