The West’s largest coal-fired power plant is closing. The Washington Post, February 14, 2017 In the past three weeks, owners of two of the nation’s biggest coal-fired power plants have announced plans to shut them down, potentially idling hundreds of workers. One plant in Arizona is the largest coal-fired facility in the western United States. “[We’re] … Read more
Jordan Cohen, ERS, for Zondits It is now easier than ever to find out how the energy efficiency of your large NYC multifamily building compares to similar buildings. Using the Urban Green Council’s (UGC’s) Metered New York database, you can search for your building address to see its ENERGY STAR score, energy and water usage, … Read more
Ethan Forauer, ERS, and Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits The new presidential administration is proposing sweeping changes to energy and environmental policy. During the presidential debates, the candidates did not devote much time to explaining their policy positions and ideas regarding climate change and energy. However, the stance of the new administration has been made clear … Read more
Daniel Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits With the appointments from the Trump administration over the past month or so, the future for energy efficiency growth looks bleak at the federal level. Despite such uncertainty, the fact remains that many initiatives happen much closer to home, as various state and local governments take matters into their own … Read more
Tesla’s Battery Revolution Just Reached Critical Mass Bloomberg, January 30, 2017 Tesla Motors Inc. is making a huge bet that millions of small batteries can be strung together to help kick fossil fuels off the grid. The idea is a powerful one—one that’s been used to help justify the company’s $5 billion factory near Reno, Nev.—but batteries have so far only … Read more
Opening Energy Efficiency To All With Inclusive Financing Alliance to Save Energy, January 25, 2017 More than a third of US residents are effectively locked out of financing programs for energy efficiency, especially renters and those homeowners who can neither afford to pay upfront for efficiency upgrades nor take on debt.1 Similar barriers affect businesses … Read more
Employment in the Energy Efficiency and Renewables Sectors Track Upward Energy Manager Today, January 25, 2017 The numbers are in and the results are clear: Energy efficiency is a growing source of employment. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) released its second annual analysis on employment in the energy industry. The 2017 U.S. … Read more
Katie Robinson, ERS, for Zondits More and more companies are looking to save energy – and energy costs – by changing their operating hours or allowing employees to work from home. Can flexible schedules make a significant dent in energy consumption and cost? Implementing a work schedule that strays from the regular 9–5/Monday–Friday is a … Read more
Daniel Pidgeon, ERS, for Zondits Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric are seeking a combined $1B over the next five years (in addition to $200M already going towards electric vehicle charging infrastructure) to help the state meet its electric vehicle targets and carbon reduction goals. This figure would … Read more
BP’s Energy Outlook: Between Forecasting and Advocacy The Energy Collective, January 30, 2017 BP’s new Energy Outlook predicts ever-growing demand for oil and gas, and rising emissions that would take the world well beyond 2°C of warming. According to Greg Muttitt, Senior Advisor at NGO Oil Change International, previous Outlooks do not provide much confidence in BP’s projections, but … Read more