Welcome to the Alliance to Save Energy's monthly newsletter, e-FFICIENCY NEWS. In this edition: Industry Leaders Interview, On the Policy Front, Consumer Awareness, Around the World, In Schools and Universities, EE Insights, and Events
Alliance to Save Energy Board Member Peter R. Smith serves as the Managing Director for the Climate Change, Energy and the Environment Group for the Pataki-Cahill Group. Mr. Smith joined Pataki-Cahill after serving for nearly four years as the President and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
While leading NYSERDA, he oversaw a $400 million budget dedicated to research, economic development and deployment of progressive energy programs and technologies throughout the State of New York, establishing almost 3,000 energy efficiency, conservation, renewable resource, economic development and research projects, including the establishment of the nation’s first clean energy technology park.
Mr. Smith also represented New York State's energy policy interests as part of Governor Pataki's Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) leadership team, and spearheaded NYSERDA’s implementation of the nation’s first state-administered Renewable Portfolio Standard, requiring 25 percent of New York’s electricity to come from renewable resources by 2013.
Read Peter R. Smith's full interview online.
In the Morning, in the Evening, the Alliance Celebrates Energy Efficiency
September 25th, 2008, marked the Alliance’s day-long celebration of energy efficiency, beginning with a serious meeting of minds at the International Policy Leaders Dialogue at the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., and concluding with the glamorous one-of-a-kind Evening with Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner, a black-tie affair held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium.
The Alliance Applauds Extension of Tax Incentives
Ever since the December 31, 2007 expiration of the energy efficiency tax incentives included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Alliance and its allies have weathered a tough battle for their extension. Finally – after a chaotic go-around with both Houses made even more spirited by pending elections – the Congress passed, and the President signed into law, legislation (H.R. 1424) that provides new consumer tax credits for energy efficiency home improvements, as well as purchases of plug-in hybrid vehicles. Alliance to Save Energy Director of Government Relations Brad Penny offers a candid recount of the events leading up to this victory, and its significance for the new Congress and Administration.
Building Codes: Looking Beyond the Failed Vote
On September 21, members of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) convened in Minneapolis to decide whether or not to adjust the residential building codes, which they set every three years and promote to states. This year, however, the IECC codes faced a new challenge. A group called the Energy Efficiency Codes Coalition (EECC) – created and housed by the Alliance to Save Energy, with supporters from government, all five regional energy efficiency alliances, think tanks, utilities, environmental groups and energy consumers and businesses – called for “The 30 percent solution."
Alliance Releases First in a Series of Briefs on Energy Efficiency at the State Level
The Alliance to Save Energy recently released the first in a series of 12 policy briefs surveying state-level energy efficiency policies and programs. The series, State Energy Efficiency Policies: Options and Lessons Learned, intends to guide state policy makers, federal agencies and nonprofit organizations in formulating successful energy efficiency policies and programs. Matthew Brown, president of InterEnergy Solutions and former energy program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures, prepared the report with substantive input from the Alliance.
The briefs will be released one by one in the coming weeks and posted on the Alliance website. The first brief, Funding Mechanisms for Energy Efficiency, explores four potential funding mechanisms whereby states can collect money for energy efficiency programs: state treasury funds, state bonding, public benefit funds and environmental fines. Subsequent policy briefs will cover subjects ranging from energy efficiency tax incentives and appliance standards, to building codes and outreach campaigns.
Energy Efficiency in the States: What’s the Score?
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently released The 2008 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, which rates and ranks state-level action on model energy efficiency policies, programs and practices. Based on a wide array of policy initiatives – appliance efficiency standards, building energy codes, transportation and land-use policies, to name a few – the report issues state-by-state rankings to applaud leadership in energy efficiency at the state level, as well as to identify best practices in the field.
Come on Everybody, Let’s Winterize: Alliance’s Winter Heating Tips
This year, the Energy Information Administration is projecting chilling increases over last year’s energy costs: 23 percent for home heating oil; 18 percent for natural gas; 10 percent for electricity; and 11 percent for propane.
Fortunately, there are ways to prevent your bills from skyrocketing as the mercury plummets. Winterizing your home is easier than it sounds, and considering that over half of the average household’s energy costs go to heating or cooling the home, this is probably a good time to learn how it’s done.
For the Love of Car!
October is Fall Car Care month, and a winterized and well-maintained car can mean better road safety as well as increased fuel efficiency. Read on about winter car care.
Drive $marter Challenge Campaign Update
The D$C campaign continues to grow, having added NASCAR to the roster, and bringing the total number of partners to 19. Starting in October, NASCAR will feature Alliance D$C car care tips on the reality TV show NASCAR Angels, which enters its third season airing on 200 broadcast TV stations around the country.
Congratulations, Green Campus Interns!
In September the Alliance’s Green Campus interns really “cleaned up” at the Best Practices in Student Energy Efficiency Awards at the 2008 UC/CSU/CCC Sustainability Conference at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Many Hands, Light Work: Alliance’s Merrilee Harrigan in Tijuana, Mexico
This past summer Alliance Vice President of Education Merrilee Harrigan traveled to Tijuana, Mexico for an out-of-the-ordinary vacation. Far from the clichés of margaritas and siestas, Merrilee was one of four chaperones to accompany a group of 13 American youths (including her 17-year old son, Ian MacMillan) who rolled up their sleeves and got to work building houses for disadvantaged community members with the volunteer program Esperanza International.
The Alliance Helps to Develop New Energy Efficiency Group in India
The newly formed Alliance for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE) is an industry association supporting the vision of an energy-efficient India. The brainchild of Hema Hattangady, CEO of Conzerv, the AEEE is supported by a leading ESCO (DSCL), top-rated energy efficiency (EE) companies in India, and USAID’s ECO III project. The Alliance to Save Energy is actively involved in AEEE and is providing Secretarial support under the ECO III project. On AEEE’s Board will sit a number of International Advisors, including a representative from the Alliance U.S. office. Read more about the formation of AEEE.
Pounds Sterling for Pounds Carbon: The U.K. Proposes New Energy Package
Like us, U.K. citizens are feeling the pinch of high energy prices set against an increasingly unstable world market. But their government has proposed a lock-stock-and-two-smoking-barrels energy package that rivals anything put together by their contemporaries across the Atlantic.
Glossary
What has two sharp ‘teeth’ and thrives on sucking the energy out of another entity? If you guessed ‘vampire’, you’re right! Unfortunately, these nasty creatures can stick around your house long after Halloween. Nicknamed ‘vampire power’ for obvious reasons, stand-by power is the electricity consumed by an appliance when the appliance is “off,” but still plugged in.
Websites
The Alliance was given the unique opportunity to conduct the primary research and deliver the data needed to create both the “Energy Generator “ and the “MPG Optimizer” on Chevron’s new Will You Join Us Campaign, which engages consumers in an important discussion about energy consumption and efficiency. The Alliance also provided input into the website’s extensive “Resource Center,” which offers users a wealth of tools and information to help consumers get involved and make a difference.
The American Public Power Association has launched a new Web site devoted to energy efficiency – Energy Efficiency Resource Central – Public Power’s Initiative for Energy Efficiency – which features information on energy efficiency programs at public power utilities, as well as a series of webinars on energy efficiency, reports, articles and links to additional resources. A key component of the Web site is a searchable database of public power energy efficiency programs.
National Grid’s interactive Web site, which is populated by polar bears and ice floes, allows you to gauge your carbon impact through an interactive calculator that assesses your carbon-emitting actions. Commit to the sites personalized recommendations, and the calculator tallies the value of your pledge in order to ‘reset the environment’ – which, in Gridfloe’s online environment, is depicted by re-frozen ice floes and happy polar bears.
Energy Efficiency Global Forum 2009
Dates: April 27 – 29, 2009
Location: Palais des Congres, Paris, France
URL: www.eeglobalforum.org
Join the EE-Global mailing list!
The Energy Efficiency Global Forum & Exposition (EE Global 2009) is the only “one-stop conference” for the information, tools and contacts needed to capitalize on enormous opportunities in energy efficiency. At EE Global 2009, the world’s leading thinkers will share the best technologies, strategies, financing and public policy approaches for leveraging investments in energy efficiency to the fullest.
Designed by energy-efficiency experts and leaders from around the world, EE Global 2009 is the place to:
- learn about opportunities in every end-use sector and region;
- share knowledge and best solutions with international government and business leaders;
- define strategies for implementing energy efficiency worldwide, and
- forge partnerships to ensure success.
Energy efficiency has emerged as a key and cost-effective solution to climate change, energy security, and economic sustainability. Now is the time for action. EE Global 2009 is the place to capitalize on the potential of energy efficiency.
International Women’s Forum
Dates: October 15 – 17
Location: Pittsburg, Penn.
URL: www.iwforum.org
Leaders from 70 nations will gather in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for a world leadership conference that will draw heads of states, corporations and enterprises, as well as members of the diplomatic community, female policy-makers and opinion-leaders from five continents. This theme for this global dialogue is Building Our Masterpiece: Transforming the Now…Mastering the Next…
Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan will take part in this seminal event on Friday, October 17 at 8:30 am to moderate Plenary III, Sustainable Cities & Economies of the Future, which will feature a video-cast introduction from the United Arab Emerites by Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber, CEO, Masdar Initiative, along with on-stage panelists Sahar Attia, Principal, ACEGypt & Professor of Planning and Urban Design at Cairo University; and Gil Friend, President & CEO of Natural Logic, for a discussion about sustainable cities of the future.
Greenbuild International Conference & Expo
Dates: November 19-21, 2008
Location: Boston, Mass.
URL: www.greenbuildexpo.org
The U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, to be held on November 19-21, 2007 in Boston, Mass., convenes the industry’s largest gathering of representatives from all sectors of the green building movement. Three days of extensive educational programming, workshops, as well as a vast exhibition floor and ample networking events provide unrivaled opportunities to learn about the latest technological innovations, explore new products, and exchange ideas with other professionals.
At this year’s event, on Thursday, November 20th, Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan will join a panel of international experts hosted by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) that will focus on implementing global energy efficiency and reducing GHG emissions in the building sector.
Last year’s conference drew over 23,000 attendees and featured more than 850 exhibitors.
EcoBuild Fall
Dates: Dec 8-11, 2008
Location: Washington, D.C.
URL: http://www.aececobuildfall.com/
EcoBuild offers insight into building information modeling, green building, high performance building, sustainability, energy efficiency, smart buildings, security and more. Attendees will learn to harness the latest in technology, products and proven strategies to improve future projects.
Look out for the Alliance at this event, which will be co-hosting a booth with the Efficient Windows Collaborative.
The World Future Energy Summit
Dates: 19-21 January 2009
Location: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
URL: www.WorldFutureEnergySummit.com/ase
The World Future Energy Summit is a meeting of the highest level of decision makers within the renewable energy world, including a large number of top government officials, heads of large international organizations, leading environmentalists and global investors. The exhibition accompanying the summit will be more than twice the size in 2009 and will be held in association with the Environment Show. This event offers networking opportunities as well as interactive pavilions from Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, the U.K. and the U.S.
Euromoney: Energy Efficiency Finance and Investment Forum
Dates: December 1-2, 2008
Location: London, U.K.
URL: http://www.euromoneyenergy.com/default.asp?Page=11&LS=ase&eventid=ECK216&site=energy
The market for energy efficient technologies presents a vast range of opportunities for both companies and investors across almost all industries. Co-organized by Euromoney Energy Events, the 2nd Energy Efficiency Finance and Investment Forum will provide attendees with unparalleled networking opportunities and a unique forum for discussion on the energy-efficient technologies market.
Alliance To Save Energy
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