NATIONAL NEWS
NASEO Building Energy Codes Roundtable
NASEO and the Energy Foundation are hosting a "Building Energy Codes
Roundtable Workshop" on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, to develop actionable
recommendations towards further progress in building code adoption, compliance,
and enforcement at the state and local levels. Attendance at this workshop
will be limited to approximately 40 key stakeholders representing federal,
state, national, and regional organizations engaged in energy codes, along with
advocates for code stringency and enforcement. This event is by invitation
only. If you have questions about this event, please contact Garth Otto
gotto@naseo.org.
NASEO Chair Submits FY12’ Funding Testimony to the House and Senate
NASEO Chair, Philip Giudice, recently submitted testimony to both the House
and Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittees in support
of FY’12 Department of Energy Funding. Specifically, NASEO testified in
support of no less than $125 million for the State Energy Program (SEP), which
is equal to the authorization. NASEO also testified in support of the $320
million FY’12 Budget Request for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and
$124 million for the Energy Information Administration (EIA). State
examples were selected based on the members of the subcommittees. The
Senate testimony had a 4 page maximum and the
House testimony had a 5 page maximum.
NASEO Efforts to Build Support for State Energy Program (SEP) and
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) FY'11 Funding
NASEO distributed a
news release
this week on our efforts to build support for State Energy Program (SEP) and
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) FY'11 funding, which highlighted
letters from 27 Senators
and their specific support for funding at FY'10 levels. NASEO anticipates
an announcement from DOE with the details of funding shortly and we will send
out an email update on those amounts as soon as they become available. In
addition, we have a package of NASEO affiliate member and business letters in
support of SEP funding which were a tremendous help in our efforts. This
package will be available as a part of our pending news story on FY'11 funding.
Please contact NASEO if you have any questions.
DOE and
HUD Announce Lenders to Participate in New Pilot Program to Help Homeowners Pay
for Energy Improvements to their Homes
Eighteen national, regional and local lenders will participate in a new
two-year pilot program that will offer qualified borrowers living in certain
parts of the country low-cost loans to make energy-saving improvements to their
homes. Backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), these new PowerSaver
loans will offer homeowners up to $25,000 to make energy-efficient improvements
of their choice, including the installation of insulation, duct sealing,
replacement doors and windows, HVAC systems, water heaters, solar panels, and
geothermal systems. U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun
Donovan and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the
participating lenders (see attached list) during a tour of a family-run company
that offers home energy audits and upgrades in Long Island, New York.
DOE Announces $130 Million for
Advanced Research Projects
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced this week that up to
$130 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will be
made available to develop five new program areas that could spark critical
breakthrough technologies and secure America's energy future. This week’s
funding opportunity announcement comes two months after ARPA-E announced six of
its projects have secured more than $100 million in outside private capital
investment - indications that the business community is eager to invest in truly
innovative solutions to the country's energy challenges. This is ARPA-E's
4th round of funding and focuses on rare earth alternatives and breakthroughs in
biofuels, thermal storage, grid controls, and solar power electronics.
USDA Report Outlines Renewable
Power Opportunities for Rural Communities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a report this week that
identifies and discusses the wide array of renewable power opportunities
available to producers in rural America. The report, titled Renewable Power
Opportunities for Rural Communities, is designed to assist local and state
government leaders, rural farmers and business operators, rural-based utilities
and their leadership, and rural residents whose interests are focused on
renewable power, distributed generation, and rural economic development. The
report discusses a rural utility's opportunities for investing in renewable
electricity generation capacity. A complete copy of the report can be
accessed at:
http://www.usda.gov/oce/reports/energy/index.htm.
STATE NEWS
Arkansas Energy Efficiency
Investments Could Create Thousands of Local Jobs and Save Customers Billions
Arkansas Economic Development Division Energy Office
Investments in energy efficiency across all four of Arkansas's economic
sectors - residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation - could create
more than 11,000 jobs, generate $240 million in revenue for the state, and save
consumers $3.2 billion in energy bills by 2025, according to a report released
by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The report,
Advancing Energy Efficiency in
Arkansas: Opportunities for a Clean Energy Economy, examines the potential
for greater energy efficiency in Arkansas and suggests a variety of policies to
tap into this underused resource.
California Energy Commission
Awards $4.6 Million for Research Projects
California Energy Commission
The California Energy Commission awarded $4,643,200 for research projects to
expand the state's smart grid, improve power plant pollution measurements, and
conserve energy and water. The Commission's grants are leveraged by $392,709,016
of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funding, American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA) funds, and matching funds from the grant recipients. Funds for the
six projects come from the Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER)
program.
Acciona Windpower Awarded Over $3
Million to Install New Wind Generation Turbines in Iowa
The Iowa Power Fund Board recently awarded over $3 million in grant funding
to Acciona Windpower North America, LLC for a project to install their latest
wind generation turbine technology, the AW-3000 wind turbines, in Iowa. Acciona
will leverage over $16 million in matching funds to bring the total project cost
to over $19.9 million. The Power Fund has invested more than $63.1 million
directly in 43 competitive projects, leveraging more than $564 million in energy
research and development, early stage commercialization and education.
Maryland Emerging as a
National Leader in Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Maryland Energy Administration
Maryland based company, SemaConnect, recently unveiled the state's first
privately developed, publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging station
in Baltimore. The station joins a wave of 65 public EV charging stations being
built by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) and its partners by June 2011
to encourage adoption of this new technology and help Marylanders escape rising
gasoline prices, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and enhance our energy
security.
NYSERDA Announces Benchmarking
Initiative to Help Commercial and Multifamily Building Owners Reduce Energy Use,
Control Costs
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
launched a pilot to help the commercial building sector and multifamily
buildings reduce their energy use, save on operating costs and cut greenhouse
gas emissions. Under the FlexTech Benchmarking Pilot, eligible customers will
receive energy benchmarking and onsite energy assessments that will provide
recommendations on low-cost building system upgrades. The pilot augments
traditional NYSERDA FlexTech incentives by providing commercial, industrial and
institutional applicants up to $7,000 in benchmarking services per site with no
cost-share. For larger projects, the costs above $7,000 will be shared by
NYSERDA and the applicant. Multifamily applicants may receive up to $3,000 in
benchmarking services per site with no cost-share.
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