On 6 January 2017, ELEEP released a new podcast episode featuring a conversation with Edith Bayer (Associate, Regulatory Assistance Project) on "Efficiency First", the organising principle that prioritises energy efficiency and demand response investments whenever they would cost less or deliver more than building new supply or grid infrastructure.

In a nutshell, efficiency first refers to the principle that the potential value of investing in energy efficiency (including both end-use savings and demand response) should be assessed in all decisions affecting the development of the energy system. Due to its promise of significant cost savings, the concept is gaining increasing traction in European energy policy discussions. In this episode, Edith Bayer and Andreas Graf (ELEEP Network) discuss concrete examples of what efficiency first means in practice for Europe and the US, including experience with utility-driven energy efficiency measures in the United States and what role it could play in EU legislative developments going forward.