NATIONAL NEWS
U.S. Department of Energy Leadership Changes
Several changes will be taking place within the U.S. Department of Energy
over the next few weeks. First, Under Secretary of Energy Cathy Zoi will
be leaving the Department of Energy on March 10 to pursue a new opportunity in
the private sector in California. Arun Majumdar will assume the role of
Acting Under Secretary of Energy while continuing to serve as Director of the
ARPA-E program. Henry Kelly, currently Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, will assume
the role of Acting Assistant Secretary for that office. Second, Chief of
Staff Rod O'Connor will be leaving the Department on March 18 for a new
opportunity in London. Brandon Hurlbut, currently Deputy Chief of Staff,
will step into the role of Acting Chief of Staff. Lastly, General Counsel
Scott Harris will be leaving the Department soon. Deputy General Counsel
for Environment and Nuclear Programs Sean Lev will be stepping into the position
of Acting General Counsel.
Two Pennsylvania and Indiana School
Districts Named ENERGY STAR Leaders by EPA
Two school districts have taken ENERGY STAR Leaders to new heights, becoming
the first to improve energy efficiency across their building portfolios by 40
and 50 percent. These organizations are Blue Mountain School District in
Pennsylvania and DeKalb County Central Unified School District in Indiana,
respectively. To be an ENERGY STAR Leader, an organization must meet one of two
energy efficiency improvement milestones: The first milestone requires a 10
percent improvement in energy performance across the entire building portfolio,
and subsequent recognition is given for each 10 percent improvement thereafter.
The second milestone, known as "top performer," requires the buildings in an
organization’s portfolio, on average, to perform in the top 25 percent of
similar buildings nationwide.
USDA Updates Rural Energy Program
to Improve Prospects for Biofuels
The USDA has announced interim rule changes to three renewable energy
programs that are intended to create jobs in rural areas and increase the
production and use of renewable energy. The programs affected include the
Biorefinery Assistance Program, the Repowering Assistance Program and the
Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. “These changes contribute to the Obama
Administration’s effort to revitalize our rural economy and meet our energy
challenges,” Agriculture Secretary Vilsack said. "USDA’s renewable energy
programs provide new sources of farm income, increase domestic energy production
and develop a domestic renewable energy industry which will create jobs and
reduce America’s dependence on imported oil."
STATE NEWS
Colorado Utility Requests
Lower Rebate for Solar Energy Systems
Xcel Energy announced their request to the Public Utilities Commission for a
reduction in their on-site solar photovoltaic (PV) rebate for systems up to 100
kW. According to their compliance plan, Xcel energy is targeting the
acquisition of 59MW of solar on-site systems in 2011, while immediately reducing
the incentive by over 10 percent, more than doubling new distributed solar
installations in 2010.
Georgia Hosting First State
Building Energy Competition
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) is hosting Georgia’s First
Annual State Building Energy Competition. Open to state agencies only, the
agency building that reduces its energy use intensity (EUI) (Btu per square
foot) the most on a percentage basis wins the competition. The goal of the
competition is to move more state buildings toward higher performance standards
and earn an ENERGY STAR label. The competitors will use ENERGY STAR’s online
energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager, which automatically calculates EUI
after entering a year’s worth of energy data and other metrics such as square
footage. The performance period during which the competitors will be judged will
be July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011.
Michigan Home Energy Loan
Program Expands to Cover Entire State
Michigan Saves helps offset the upfront costs of making homes energy
efficient by providing access to easy and affordable financing options.
The program offers personal loans from $1,000 to $12,500 at a low, fixed
interest rate of no more than 7 percent. The loans have more flexible
qualifying standards and longer term options for larger amounts, to drive down
the monthly cost of payments.
NYSERDA is First Government
Agency Inducted into Alliance to Save Energy’s Energy Efficiency Hall of Fame
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) became
the newest inductee into the Alliance to Save Energy’s Energy Efficiency Hall of
Fame at an event held on Capitol Hill this week. NYSERDA is the first government
agency to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. "Since 1975, NYSERDA has been
a leader in promoting energy efficiency, not just among state energy offices,
but among all government agencies," noted Alliance President Kateri Callahan.
"NYSERDA’s induction into the Alliance’s Hall of Fame recognizes not only
NYSERDA’s exceptional energy efficiency work in 2010, but also the tremendous
benefits to New Yorkers' pocketbooks and to the state’s economy and environment
for more than 35 years."
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