NATIONAL NEWS
Shaheen and Portman Introduce a National Efficiency Strategy for Today and
the Future
Noting the need for immediate action on U.S. energy policy and for policies
that encourage job growth and keep our economy competitive, U.S. Senators Jeanne
Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) introduced bipartisan legislation this
week that would enact a national energy efficiency strategy. The Energy
Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011 contains a broad package
of low-cost tools that would reduce barriers for businesses, homeowners and
consumers looking to adopt off-the-shelf energy efficiency technologies that
will save them money. U.S. commercial and residential buildings combined
consume 40 percent of all energy used, while the U.S. industrial sector consumes
more energy than any other sector of our economy. The federal government is the
largest single energy consumer in the country. The Shaheen-Portman bill
targets efficiencies in all three areas at relatively low cost. The legislation
embraces a bipartisan approach that includes many widely supported approaches to
enabling private investment. Some highlights of the legislation include:
- Boosts private sector investment in building efficiency
upgrades by expanding the Department of Energy (DOE) Loan
Guarantee program.
- Helps manufacturers reduce energy use and become more
competitive by working with states to establish a revolving loan
program to help finance efficiency upgrades.
- Provides standards on outdoor lighting, residential heating
and cooling systems, residential appliances, and other appliance
products based on agreements between manufacturers and
efficiency advocates.
- Works with states to strengthen national model building
codes, to make new homes and commercial buildings more energy
efficient.
- Requires the federal government – the single largest energy
user in the country -- to adopt energy saving techniques for
computers, saving energy and taxpayer dollars, and adopt better
building standards and smart metering technology.
Sens. Shaheen and Portman, both members of the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources, will seek hearings in committee on the legislation in coming
weeks.
DOE Announces Guide for 50 % More Energy Efficient Office Buildings
The U.S. Department of Energy released of the first in a new series of
Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs) to aid architects and engineers in the
design of highly energy efficient office buildings. The 50% AEDG series will
provide a practical approach to commercial buildings designed to achieve 50%
energy savings compared to the commercial building energy code used in many
areas of the country. This 50% AEDG for Small and Medium Office Buildings is the
first in a series of four to be released in the coming months. These commercial
building guides support President Obama’s goal to reduce energy use in
commercial buildings 20% by 2020 and will help drive demand for energy-saving
products made in the United States. The
Advanced Energy
Design Guide for 50 % energy savings in Small and Medium Office Buildings is
now available for free download.
EPA Launches National Building Competition
On May 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the launch
of the second annual "Battle of the Buildings." The competition, which is
hosted by celebrity spokesperson John Corbett, features 245 commercial buildings
across the nation competing to save energy and fight climate change through
improvements in energy efficiency, with help from EPA's ENERGY STAR program.
The teams are currently participating in the first round of competition where
they will benchmark their building's monthly energy use with EPA's Portfolio
Manager, make improvements to their building's energy performance, and share
their progress. On July 27, EPA will announce the group of finalists and the
competitor that reduces its energy use the most on a percentage basis will be
recognized by EPA as the winner on November 2. Please visit the ENERGY
STAR
website to view a visual gallery with profiles of all 245 buildings in the
competition, see live Twitter feeds from contestants providing up-to-date
information on their activities, and watch John Corbett’s videos of helpful tips
for saving energy.
USDA and DOE Award Biomass Research and Development Grants to Reduce
America's Reliance on Imported Oil
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu
recently announced a total of $47 million to fund eight research and development
projects that will support the production of biofuels, bioenergy and high-value
biobased products from a variety of biomass sources. These investments in clean,
sustainable transportation fuels will help reduce U.S. oil imports, support
economic development in rural America, create clean energy jobs for U.S.
workers, and protect American families and businesses from future spikes in gas
prices. The advanced biofuels produced through these projects are also expected
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to fossil
fuels. Each award was made through a competitive selection process.
Grant recipients are required to contribute a minimum of 20 percent of matching
funds for research and development projects and 50 percent of matching funds for
demonstration projects. Awardees must pursue projects that integrate science and
engineering research in three areas: feedstocks development, biofuels and
biobased products development, and biofuels development analysis.
USDA Announces Project to Encourage Development of Next-Generation
Biofuels
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the establishment of the
first Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) Project Area to promote the
production of dedicated feedstocks for bioenergy. This project will help spur
the development of next-generation biofuels and is part of Obama Administration
efforts to protect Americans from rising gas prices by breaking the nation's
dependence on foreign oil. The program provides an opportunity for teams
of crop producers and bioenergy facilities to submit proposals to USDA to be
selected as a BCAP project area. If selected, crop producers will be eligible
for reimbursements of up to 75 percent of the cost of establishing a bioenergy
perennial crop, and can receive up to five years of annual payments for grassy
crops (annual or perennial), and up to 15 years of annual payments for woody
crops (annual or perennial). Bioenergy facilities are those facilities that
produce heat, power, biobased products, or advanced biofuels from biomass
feedstocks.
STATE NEWS
DOE Offers $90.6 Million Loan Guarantee for Colorado Solar Facility
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced this week the offer of a
conditional commitment for a $90.6 million loan guarantee to Cogentrix of
Alamosa, LLC, for one of the largest high-concentration solar photovoltaic
(HCPV) generation projects in the world. The guarantee will support the
construction of the Alamosa Solar Generating Project, a 30-megawatt (MW) net
capacity HCPV project located in south-central Colorado near Alamosa. Cogentrix
estimates the project will create about 75 construction jobs and 10 operations
jobs. The project, which is expected to produce approximately 75,000
megawatt hours of energy per year, will sell all of its electricity to Public
Service Company of Colorado. It will be enough to power more than 6,500 homes,
and it will avoid the emissions of more than 43,000 tons of carbon dioxide per
year.
Illinois Unveils Comprehensive Energy Plan
Governor Pat Quinn announced this week a comprehensive proposal that will
protect Illinois’ consumers by stabilizing energy bills, while creating
thousands of jobs and encouraging investment in clean, renewable and reliable
energy. The plan moves Illinois towards ensuring that 25 percent of our energy
comes from renewable sources by 2025, which is mandated by state law. The
Governor’s comprehensive strategy encourages investment in energy efficiency
projects that shield consumers from high energy prices and supports renewable
energy projects. It also creates a path for approval of clean coal projects,
which will help us responsibly harness our significant coal reserves. The
proposal helps consumers invest in their own clean energy generation (i.e.
solar), freeing them from the need to buy power and reducing capacity problems
on our electric grid. It also guarantees that consumers benefit from grid
upgrades, instead of the utility companies, by strictly defining those kinds of
grid upgrades and ensuring that they create jobs.
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