With the world's economy providing businesses with plenty of challenges, an energy congress will hear that cutting fuel use and costs is proving popular with company leaders.

The 34th Annual World Energy Engineering Congress which meets next week in Chicago is sponsored by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and will attract more than 4,000 workers in the field. AEE says the event is the most important in the world for the energy business.

Among the events will be discussions on improving the energy performance of buildings, how governments manage energy use, and developments in renewable and alternative forms of energy supply.

With environmental concerns high on everyone's list of priorities, the energy management business is booming - according to the latest research it will soon be worth $40 billion.

Albert Thumann is the founder and executive director of AEE and he explained the growth in his field, saying:

"The bottom line of every business is greatly impacted by energy costs. Money spent on energy efficiency is a sound investment with an excellent return. AEE is at the forefront of helping businesses stay competitive in these tough economic times."

Thumann is urging the public to get along to the Expo too in order to catch many free events of interest to the environmentally conscious home consumer.

"Many sessions will profoundly influence how companies view energy consumption. We encourage people to visit the Expo to not only see new products, but to attend the large cross-section of free informational workshops as well," he said Thumann.

Energy investment guru T. Boone Pickens will address American energy security while second keynote speaker Alexandra Cousteau will speak on managing water resources. You can find our more and get hold of tickets here.

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