While You Weren’t Looking, Energy Efficiency Became One of Our Nation’s Top Energy Resources Union of Concerned Scientists, June 2, 2017 Here’s a fact I bet you didn’t know: in 2015, energy efficiency saved more electricity than was produced by every type of electricity resource in our country but for coal and natural gas. Hydro, … Read more
Jesse Remillard and Nick Collins, ERS, for Zondits During the fall 2016 elections, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, and California legalized recreational cannabis, and three other states legalized it for medical use. This brought the total number of states allowing the sale and use of recreational marijuana to 8, with another 28 allowing it for medicinal use. … Read more
Better Buildings Challenge Partners Save $1.9 Billion, Achieve their Portfolio-Wide Goal this Year The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the energy-efficiency progress made by the 345 leading public and private sector organizations in the Better Buildings Challenge. These efforts have led to a combined 240 trillion Btus and an estimated $1.9 billion in … Read more
Jeff Perkins, ERS, for Zondits Green banks are organizations created to stimulate private investment in clean energy projects. They can be public, public-private, or private and can have different objectives, products, and approaches depending on the mission defined at their creation. Interest in green banks is increasing, and they have been created in a number … Read more
Electric Vehicles Good for the Environment & Save You Money Clean Technica, April 18, 2017 Electric cars themselves produce zero emissions when driven, but even if you factor in the emissions from electricity produced in your region that is utilized to power your electric car, it’s extremely likely your electric car is cleaner than a … Read more
PG&E launches online market for energy efficient products Electric Light & Power, April 24, 2017 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. launched the updated PG&E Marketplace with a new user interface and design. PG&E Marketplace is a website for customers to find energy-saving appliances and consumer electronics. The site allows customers to discover energy-efficient products and … Read more
American energy use, in one diagram Vox, April 13, 2017 Spring brings new growth, new possibilities, and, best of all, a new spaghetti diagram from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) at the Department of Energy. Every year, LLNL produces a new energy flow chart showing the sources of US energy, what it’s used for, and … Read more
Elana Cole, ERS, for Zondits Copenhagen built its first bike lane in 1910, but the bulk of the bike lanes were established within the last 25 years. Today, 50% of the citizens living in Copenhagen choose to commute by bike every day, and it’s not unusual to see people in suits, heels, or skirts comfortably … Read more
Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits California Governor Jerry Brown and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have signed a joint agreement of cooperation as the two administrations seek to fulfill the climate goals of the Under2 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The Under2 MOU is a collaboration of subnational governments calling to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions … Read more
Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits Remember Diesel-Gate? Volkswagen engineers and executives had been lying about the carbon intensity of their diesel vehicles for years – they did not crack the “clean diesel” formula, they just faked it. Carbon reparations are being litigated all over the world, and here in the states, the California Air Resources … Read more