Amber Plante, ERS, for Zondits. April 21, 2016 All eyes will be on United Nations headquarters in New York on April 22, 2016, as United States President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and representatives from approximately 150 other countries gather to sign the Paris Agreement, a historic document that tackles climate change head-on by reducing … Read more
Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits. April 21, 2016. Image credit: Unsplash According to the ACEEE, the transportation sector is responsible for 28% of all end-use energy in the USA, and according to the EPA it is also responsible for 26% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (the second-largest contributor to GHG emissions behind electricity generation). Automobile … Read more
Max Twogood, ERS, for Zondits. April 21, 2016. Image credit: zdulli The number of states suing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Clean Power Plan (CPP) is now up to 29 in Michigan v. EPA. In February the Supreme Court issued a stay on the CPP, which is an unprecedented ruling for the high court to stay … Read more
Long Beach Announce Energy Efficiency Plan Port Technology, April 13, 2016. Image credit: MichaelFertig In April 2016 the Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the Energy Efficiency Rebate Match Program, creating US $500,000 to reimburse tenants up to 100% of their equipment purchase costs. The port’s rebates would match Southern California Edison rebates for eligible energy-saving equipment but are … Read more
Even uncommon voices can find common ground on energy efficiency The Hill, April 14, 2016. Image credit: philriley427 Washington, D.C., has earned a reputation in recent years as a city plagued by hyper-partisan gridlock. Yet our two organizations – which often disagree – have found common ground on energy efficiency. It’s instructive to look at why … Read more
Lightbulbs excluded in EU regulations on energy efficiency claims The Guardian, April 12, 2016. Image credit: jacquess27 The EU has voted to close loopholes that allow home appliance manufacturers to make misleading claims about their products’ energy performance, but environmentalists are incandescent that lightbulbs have been excluded from the new rules. Companies will no longer be … Read more
California Energy Commission Considers Bill to Mandate Energy-Efficient Computers Government Technology, April 11, 2016. Image credit: Simon All computers sold in California could be required to adopt stricter state energy standards by 2018, cutting computer energy consumption by as much as half, according to new regulations being proposed by the California Energy Commission. The commission’s latest … Read more
U.S. Natural Gas Electricity Efficiency is Always Improving Forbes, April 10, 2016. Image credit: anita_starzycka For electricity, the lifeblood of our modern world, efficiency has been installed as the 1st choice to reduce energy usage and related GHG emissions. Although renewables are ranked 2nd in this critical “loading order,” 3rd ranked natural gas often gets deployed 1st because … Read more
The Evidence Is In: Decoupling Spurs Energy Efficiency Investment NRDC, April 5, 2016. Image credit: fdecomite The current research was prompted by questions raised about decoupling during our work in Minnesota last year when the state’s largest electric utility, Xcel Energy, with the support of NRDC and Fresh Energy, implemented Minnesota’s first electric decoupling mechanism. To … Read more
Governor Cuomo Announces 112,000 Energy Efficiency Projects Initiated Since 2012 Governor NY, March 23, 2016. Image credit: kjubee Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that in the past four years, 112,000 residential and commercial energy efficiency projects have been completed or are currently under development through New York State clean energy programs. These projects will attract … Read more