Posted August 3, 2010 by Lane Burt in Solving Global Warming
Today, energy efficiency advocates and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) announced an agreement on energy and water efficiency standards for several appliances that will save more than 9 quads, 5 trillion gallons of water, and billions of consumer...continued→
Posted August 3, 2010 by Lane Burt in Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
Remember the summer of 2008? There was a gas price spike that made some question our lack of coherent national energy policy but caused others to double down and chant “Drill Baby Drill”? About that time, we took a look...continued→
Posted June 29, 2010 by Lane Burt in Solving Global Warming
Having trouble keeping track of all the energy bills flying around in the Senate? Join the club. You have the Kerry and Lieberman American Power Act (APA), Bingaman and Murkowski’s ACELA, the Cantwell and Collins CLEAR Act, and the list...continued→
Posted May 27, 2010 by Lane Burt in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming
I don’t usually like talking about windows because when homeowners choose how to spend their hard earned money on efficiency, new windows are one of the worst choices. But today is different, because today in DC, the Department of Energy...continued→
Posted May 19, 2010 by Lane Burt in Greening China
I recently returned from Beijing, where NRDC and the Energy Foundation sponsored the “China US Building Energy Efficiency Evaluation and Labeling Summit” to talk about lessons learned in energy labeling of buildings in the US and China. The Summit featured...continued→
Posted April 29, 2010 by Lane Burt in Solving Global Warming
Today, the US Green Building Council, NRDC, and a collection of commercial and multifamily real estate groups rolled out our “Executive Authorities” report that thoroughly documents all the existing legal authorities that federal agencies have to put the petal to...continued→
Posted April 21, 2010 by Lane Burt in Solving Global Warming
Vice President Joe Biden kicked off five days of Earth Day events today with the announcement that 25 communities have been selected for up to $452 million in Recovery Act funding to “ramp-up” energy efficiency building retrofits as part of...continued→
Posted April 14, 2010 by Lane Burt in Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
Home Star will reach another mile stone today when Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.) and Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.) introduce legislation creating the program in the House of Representatives. It’s important to note...continued→
Posted April 1, 2010 by Lane Burt in Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
Remember when I asked you to take action and tell the Department of Energy to set a better standard for residential water heaters? Well, just shy of 10,000 of you responded and it made a difference. DOE heard all of...continued→
Posted March 26, 2010 by Lane Burt in Solving Global Warming
Energy Star has been a popular target lately, most recently as a result of an undercover Congressional audit reported in the New York Times. I’ve blogged on Energy Star’s issues several times and generally think that both EPA and DOE...continued→
Posted March 24, 2010 by Lane Burt in Solving Global Warming
Have you ever stopped to think about the energy efficiency of a doublewide? DOE is about to do just that, having initiated a rulemaking to develop mandatory standards for manufactured homes (basically a building code) under order from Congress to...continued→
Posted March 11, 2010 by Lane Burt in Green Enterprise, Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming, The Media and the Environment
Ah, Home Star – the legislative proposal that has eaten all my time over the last six months. What more is there to say? Creates jobs!…Slashes energy use!…Saves money! All of that was said today and more, during a hearing...continued→
Posted March 10, 2010 by Lane Burt in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
My fellow efficiency advocates and I have spent countless hours over the last year negotiating with manufacturers of every appliance and piece of equipment imaginable, trying to reach agreements on what the next energy standards will look like. These standards...continued→
Posted March 8, 2010 by Lane Burt in Solving Global Warming
The Department of Energy has made a couple of unprecedented moves on efficiency in the last few months that have gone unnoticed by all but the most die-hard efficiency advocates. First, as my colleague Noah Long explained, DOE has begun...continued→
Posted March 4, 2010 by Lane Burt in Green Enterprise, Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee will hold a hearing today to discuss how Recovery Act funds are being spent, with an emphasis on the weatherization assistance program (WAP). The hearing is in response to a report from...continued→
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