NASEO News

FEDERAL UPDATE

U.S. Department of Energy Industrial Energy Efficiency Directory

The Industrial Technologies Program announced the launch of the Industrial Energy Efficiency Directory (INDEED) website. The site is designed as a publicly accessible resource that delivers energy-efficient technology and process options to industry and provides key information to plant managers who are assessing their facilities' energy efficiency needs.  To visit the INDEED website, please click here.

University of California Analysis: Clean Energy and Climate Policies Lead to Economic Growth in the United States:

According to a recent analysis performed by the University of California, comprehensive clean energy and climate protection legislation, like the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) that was passed by the House of Representatives in June would strengthen the U.S. economy by establishing pollution limits and incentives that together will drive large-scale investments in clean energy and energy efficiency.  These investments will result in stronger job growth, higher real household income, and increased economic output than the U.S. would experience without the bill.

The new analysis shows conclusively that climate policy will strengthen the U.S. economy as a whole. Full adoption of the ACES package of pollution reduction and energy efficiency measures would create between 918,000 and 1.9 million new jobs, increase annual household income by $487-$1,175 per year, and boost GDP by $39 billion-$111 billion. These economic gains are over and above the growth the U.S. would see in the absence of such a bill. 

The new comprehensive economic assessment of ACES was conducted by a team of researchers at the University of California using EAGLE, a new state-of-the-art forecasting model, to study the detailed impacts of the legislation on the United States economy.  The model was developed collaboratively between the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and Yale University.  Please click here for more information on the national results, an executive summary of the analysis, and state fact sheets that illustrate the impact of the legislation on individual states.

EVENTS AND WEBINARS

Mark Your Calendars: 2010 Energy Outlook Conference, February 1-4, 2010

NASEO and ASERTTI will host the 2010 Energy Outlook Conference in Washington, D.C., February 1-4, at the Fairmont Hotel.  Please click here to visit the event website for more information and to register online.  A preliminary agenda will be available soon.  Please continue to check the website for updates. 

Governors' Wind Energy Coalition Annual Meeting – December 10-11, 2009

The Governors' Wind Energy Coalition will host their annual meeting in Washington, DC on December 10-11, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.  The meeting will offer a unique opportunity to hear from Obama Administration officials, leading policy makers, and experts from the utility, economic development and technology sectors regarding the imminent opportunities for unprecedented development of our abundant wind energy resources—and reaping the economic power that this clean energy source can bring to all regions of the nation.  For more information about the meeting, including an agenda and online registration, please click here.    

ECW Webinar:  The Silver Lining in Climate Survey Results – December 16, 2009

The Energy Center of Wisconsin will host a free webinar, "The Silver Lining in Climate Survey Results: Refining the Design of Energy Efficiency Programs and Climate Policy," presented by Ingo Bensch, Senior Project Manager, Energy Center of Wisconsin on December 16, 2009 from 1:00 pm-2:30 pm CT.  In this live webinar, Bensch presents the 2009 results from the Midwest Energy Survey—a tracking instrument that began measuring public attitudes, awareness and practices on energy efficiency and climate in 2007. This webinar is designed for executives, regulators, legislators, energy efficiency program managers, advocates and professionals in the energy field, and offers an independent perspective on the public's attitudes, practices, and awareness of climate change and energy efficiency.  For more information and to register for the webinar, please click here.

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS

Kansas State Energy Office Announces $3.8 Million Available for Renewable Energy Projects

The State Energy Office (SEO), a division of the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), announced the establishment of the Renewable Energy Incentives Grant program.  The SEO has received $3.8 million in funding through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The SEO intends to use the funds to promote the use of renewable energy in the public sector by offering grants to cover up to 25 percent of the costs (up to $250,000) of developing, implementing, and installing a renewable energy source.  Please click here for more information. 

Maryland, Virginia and Delaware Work Together to Promote Mid-Atlantic Wind Power

The governors of Virginia, Maryland and Delaware announced a partnership designed to promote and coordinate the development of wind energy off the mid-Atlantic coast.  Officials in the three states said that by working together, they hope to advance the construction of power lines and advocate jointly for federal legislation that would help pave the way for what many expect will become a critical source of electricity for coastal communities.  In a joint statement, the three governors said offshore wind energy would help meet the region's electricity needs while doing the least harm to the environment. They also highlighted its potential to create jobs. In Virginia, officials estimate, construction of wind farms offshore and on land would create more than 3,000 jobs over the next two decades.  Please click here to read the full story. 

Tax Credit Promotes Efficient Energy Systems in Baton Rouge

Solar Pointe, a townhouse complex just completed that uses solar power and captured rainwater to be "virtually self-sufficient," may be fairly unusual in Baton Rouge today, but alternative-energy advocates are hoping generous state tax credits that went into effect last year and a forward-thinking policy change a decade ago will help make it much more common.  Four of the townhouses in the new complex have a 2,450-watt solar photovoltaic system; four have a 1,575-watt system; and all have an 80-gallon solar water collector system.  According to the project's investor, the key is the 30 percent federal tax credit and a 50 percent state tax credit that add up to the buyer only having to pay for 20 percent of the unit's cost. This means the bigger system's retail price of $19,000 becomes $3,800 and the smaller one drops from $15,000 to $3,000. The water system, which retails for $6,000, becomes $1,200 after the tax credits.  To read the full story, please click here.