Energy Exchange

Think Texas Energy is all about the Oil? Think Again.

By Jim Marston / Published: February 19, 2015

Technology is making clean energy competitive with coal for the first time in history, and that’s a game changer.

In 1999, we pushed to get the first renewable energy mandate passed in the country – in Texas of all places. There were all sorts of concerns at the time that wind could not be integrated into the system, or that it would be too expensive. Time has proven otherwise.

Yes, Texas has plenty of oil and gas, but we also have a lot of sun and wind. Those early investments in renewables paid off and today the Lone Star State is the top wind energy-producing state in the nation.

As such, I believe we’re helping to drive investments in wind across the United States. Read More »

Also posted in Renewable Energy, Texas / Comments are closed

Duke University Documents Widespread Benefits of North Carolina’s Solar Economy

By Greg Andeck / Published: February 19, 2015

North Carolina’s number-one ranking in the Southeast for solar energy investment confirms the state is a national leader in attracting clean energy companies and creating jobs. But a top ranking does not fully reflect the broad range of benefits North Carolina’s large-scale solar industry is delivering to the state’s manufacturing sectors and rural communities.

Now a report from Duke University documents how the state’s solar industry is boosting the bottom line of companies and communities across North Carolina.

The Solar Economy: Widespread Benefits for North Carolina credits state policies such as the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit with stimulating economic development.

It highlights a recent economic impact assessment by RTI International showing that for every dollar of Investment Tax Credit redeemed by businesses, $1.93 has been returned to state and local governments. That’s a great deal for North Carolina.

The report spotlights three key findings: Read More »

Also posted in North Carolina, Renewable Energy / Read 2 Responses

Successful NYC Clean Heat Program Wins Award for Outstanding Design

By Abbey Brown / Published: February 18, 2015

We already know the innovative program NYC Clean Heat is yielding tremendous results: soot pollution from buildings in New York City has fallen by more than 50 percent since 2011, preventing an estimated 800 deaths and 2,000 hospital visits due to lung and cardiovascular diseases annually. That hard work by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the City of New York, and our partners has now been recognized –again.

The Association of Energy Service Professionals has given NYC Clean Heat an award for Outstanding Achievement in Non-Residential Program Design & Implementation. We are honored to receive this award from such a distinguished organization and believe it shows that a program like NYC Clean Heat is both necessary and replicable.

EDF partnered with the City to create NYC Clean Heat in 2012, which forged a diverse coalition of the financial, real estate, and non-profit communities, to launch a $100 million financing program to help phase out dirty heating oils. The program helped 4,000 buildings – half of them affordable housing – convert to cleaner, more efficient heating oils. Read More »

Also posted in Air Quality, Energy Efficiency, New York / Read 9 Responses

Are Energy Managers Making Progress? Introducing a Tool to Help

By EDF Blogs / Published: February 12, 2015

By: Liz Delaney, Program Director, EDF Climate Corps

Energy management can be complicated, and the projects organizations must tackle run the gamut: from small-scale lighting and HVAC upgrades to whole building retrofits; from baselining energy consumption to data analysis of enterprise-wide energy management systems; and from volunteer employee engagement programs to executive-level goal setting.

So if you’re an energy manager, there’s no doubt you’re busy! But, when you’re deep in the middle of so many weeds, what’s not often clear is: Is your organization making real progress to improve the way it thinks about and manages energy? What does real progress look like?

Several years ago, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and partner MIT started to address these questions through the development of a framework for strategic energy management. This framework shows successful programs depend on a holistic and multi-faceted management approach—one where five focus areas work in concert to create a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement. Read More »

Posted in Clean Energy / Comments are closed

Broad Coalition Coalesces for Clean Energy Jobs in Illinois

By Dick Munson / Published: February 4, 2015

Labor, business, and environmental leaders have formed a unique coalition that will urge Illinois lawmakers to pass new standards for energy efficiency and renewable energy, leading to tens of thousands of new, local jobs.

Members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition, including Environmental Defense Fund, argue that the state should not settle for an old stagnant energy system – one that struggles to meet new Environmental Protection Agency clean energy standards, raises electricity prices for families and businesses, and fails to create new jobs. Instead, we should move decisively toward a cleaner, more reliable, and affordable energy future that increases employment right here in Illinois.

More than 100,000 individuals across the state already work in the clean energy industry, exceeding the number employed in the state’s real estate and accounting sectors combined. That figure is growing at an impressive rate of nine to 10 percent annually. Coalition members predict even sharper job growth if lawmakers embrace their recommendations for spurring a clean energy economy in Illinois, including: Read More »

Also posted in Energy Efficiency, Illinois, Jobs, Renewable Energy / Read 1 Response

Clean Energy Conferences Roundup: February 2015

By EDF Blogs / Published: February 2, 2015

Each 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 February:

Feb 16-18: Energy, Utility & Environment Conference 2015, San Diego, CA
Speaker: John Finnigan, Attorney

The 18th Annual Energy, Utility, and Environment Conference is the U.S.’s largest professional networking and educational event of its kind, held at the San Diego Convention Center. The technical program consists of over 400 speakers in 10 concurrent tracks. Topics include “GHG Regulation for Everyone – Not Just Utilities,” “Avoiding Emissions from the Electric Sector through Efficiency and Renewable Energy,” “EPA’s Proposed Clean Power Plan,” and more.

Also posted in Conference Roundup / Comments are closed