Energy Exchange

California Makes Clean Energy History with Passage of SB 350

By: Lauren Navarro and Tim O’Connorsolar

Every day thousands of Americans suffer from dirty air – costing the young and old their health, livelihood, and in many cases, their lives. As California is home to the top five most polluted cities in the country, we need action.

Thankfully, after many long hours of debate and negotiations at the state capitol, the California Legislature passed SB 350 (De León) last Friday. The California State Assembly passed the bill, with a 52-26 vote with bipartisan support before passing it on to the senate where it was approved in a concurrence vote. This bill increases California’s renewable energy mix to 50 percent and doubles the energy efficiency of existing buildings. Both of these provisions will serve to combat dirty air and fight climate change, while ushering in a new era for the state’s electricity system – one defined by a cleaner, more resilient, and dynamic electric grid. Read More »

Posted in California, Clean Energy, Climate, Demand Response, Energy Efficiency, General, Renewable Energy / Tagged , , | Authors: / Read 2 Responses

Clean Energy Conference Roundup: September 2015

Source-National-Retail-Federation-Flickr-300x2001Each month, the Energy Exchange rounds up a list of top clean energy conferences around the country. Our list includes conferences at which experts from the EDF Clean Energy Program will be speaking, plus additional events that we think our readers may benefit from marking on their calendars.

Top clean energy conferences featuring EDF experts in September:

September 20-22: ACEEE National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource (Little Rock, AR)
Speaker: John Finnigan, Lead Attorney

  • The ACEEE National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource is a biennial event first held in 2001. The conference is widely recognized as the premiere event for examining energy efficiency as a strategic and critical utility system resource. The program content will be specifically designed to focus on the issues related to utility-sector energy efficiency policies and programs. Industry leaders will gather to discuss the latest developments in the use of energy efficiency as a key resource for meeting customer and utility system needs and for addressing other critical economic and environmental objectives.

Read More »

Posted in Conference Roundup, General / Comments are closed

Denver Housing Authority Sets Bar for Municipalities Nationwide

solar homesBy: Victoria Mills and Cheryl Roberto

To many, it may seem that pursuing environmental sustainability would fall relatively low on a municipal housing authority’s goals.  After all, providing moderate and low-income families with clean, stable homes in the face of uncertain federal subsidies and increasing taxpayer scrutiny is challenge enough.

The Housing Authority of the City and County of Denver (DHA), therefore, deserves praise for its innovative solar power program that not only provides renewable energy, but creates revenue for the housing authority, creates green jobs in the region, and saves taxpayers’ money – all the while reflecting the spirit of the federal Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, which looks to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent by the year 2020. DHA serves as a model for municipalities across the country.

Andrea Davis of the DHA’s Real Estate Department and Chris Jedd, portfolio energy manager, showed the creativity and sheer will to make a lofty renewable energy goal affordable, manageable and successful, while providing their communities with empowerment, economic opportunity, and a vibrant living environment. Read More »

Posted in EDF Climate Corps, Energy Efficiency, Energy Financing, Renewable Energy / Tagged , | Comments are closed

Game Time for Fixing The Gas Industry’s Achilles Heel

By  Ben Ratner and Sean Wright

GametimeAs the dog days of summer expire and football season approaches, many sports fans will anxiously scan their favorite team’s rosters for training camp injuries–finding everything from the innocuous, to the dreaded torn Achilles that already sidelined several pro players for the season’s start.

When it comes to the energy industry, methane emissions loom as the Achilles heel of natural gas. On the surface, natural gas appears to many as a star American player – abundant and cleaner burning than coal.

But unchecked methane emissions, which are 84 times more potent than CO2, undercut natural gas’ climate change performance. Read More »

Posted in Climate, Methane / Tagged , | Comments are closed

Clean Energy Conference Roundup: August 2015

rp_Source-National-Retail-Federation-Flickr-300x2001.jpgEach month, the Energy Exchange rounds up a list of top clean energy conferences around the country. Our list includes conferences at which experts from the EDF Clean Energy Program will be speaking, plus additional events that we think our readers may benefit from marking on their calendars.

 

 

 

 

August 4-6: 2015 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry (Buffalo, NY)

  • This year’s ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry will bring you the latest thinking on managing plant energy use, national energy policy, and industrial energy efficiency program administration. Session topics include Strategic Energy Management, Sustainability, Smart Manufacturing, Beyond Best Practices, Policy and Resource Planning, and Delivering Results.

Read More »

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How Does the Investor Confidence Project Work? Check Out Our New Factsheet

By: Max Wycisk

ICP Logo newestThe Investor Confidence Project (ICP), Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) signature buildings efficiency finance program, is sometimes hard to explain in a nutshell. Ultimately, the program aims to create confidence among investors financing energy efficiency projects by standardizing how projects are designed and implemented across the commercial buildings sector. But how do we get from the origination of a project to a successful return on investment?

Our new ICP factsheet aims to answer this question and more. We’ve even developed this helpful infographic depicting a step-by-step process for using the ICP system: Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, General, Investor Confidence Project / Comments are closed