As an energy efficiency advocate in NRDC’s DC office, I focus on ways to promote energy efficiency in buildings and appliances at the Federal level. I work on both the legislative and regulatory side, advancing efficiency through grant programs, tax incentives, buildings energy codes and appliance efficiency standards, among other things. I joined NRDC in August 2009, after graduating from Stanford with an MS and BS in Civil Engineering, with a focus on efficiency in buildings and renewable energy technologies.
As a native Californian, I grew up hiking in the parks around the Bay Area and in the Sierras and have always loved spending time outdoors. When I’m not in the office, I like to spend my time hiking and camping, going on long runs, cooking new things and being with friends and family.
Posted May 16, 2012 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
Clothes washers and dishwashers meeting new energy efficiency standards announced today will continue to wash clothes and dishes well, without washing away hard earned cash. The standards issued by DOE today will require clothes washers to use up to 35...continued→
Posted May 8, 2012 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
You couldn’t open the newspaper in 2009 or 2010 without seeing an ad for the federal tax credit for windows, doors, and other energy efficiency improvements. While certainly popular, was this incentive the most effective use of taxpayer dollars? Or...continued→
Posted April 9, 2012 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
Not one of lucky three winners of last weekend’s Mega-Millions $640 million jackpot? Me neither. But thankfully for us all, appliance standards have been quietly saving big dollars for consumers for the past 3 decades and more are on the...continued→
Posted March 21, 2012 by Meg Waltner in Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
How can we create jobs, cut pollution and put more money in consumers’ pockets? The Home Owner Managing Energy Savings Act (HOMES Act), introduced today by Reps. McKinley (R-WV) and Welch (D-VT) would do all three. This bipartisan bill would...continued→
Posted February 8, 2012 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
Thanks to new energy efficiency standards proposed last week, DOE Secretary Steven Chu has a new credential on top of his Nobel Prize: he’s a vampire slayer – one that specializes in eliminating “vampire” energy waste while saving consumers billions...continued→
Posted January 18, 2012 by Meg Waltner in Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
What can America do to promote energy efficiency and sustainability in residential, multifamily and commercial buildings if Congress remains gridlocked in an election year? A new analysis shows that the Obama administration has significant ability to advance these goals using...continued→
Posted December 5, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, U.S. Law and Policy
Senators Snowe, Bingaman and Feinstein recently introduced the “Cut Energy Bills at Home Act” (S. 1914), a new performance-based tax credit that rewards homeowners for making whole-home energy efficiency improvements. The bill encourages homeowners to make investments in energy efficiency...continued→
Posted August 29, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
As the dog days of summer continue to wear on, nothing sounds better on a hot afternoon than an ice-cold popsicle straight out of the freezer. Well thanks to new standards issued by DOE, refrigerators will continue to keep our...continued→
Posted June 14, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Green Enterprise, Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming
Yesterday, President Obama met with his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness in North Carolina to hear their ideas on job creation. While he was there, he also toured the Cree facility to see the American jobs that have been created...continued→
Posted June 9, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
Yesterday afternoon, the Department of Energy issued a direct final rule with new energy efficiency standards for residential heating and cooling equipment that have been many, many years in the making. The rule is one of several we’re expecting imminently...continued→
Posted May 12, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
Today, Senators Portman and Shaheen introduced the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2011, a comprehensive energy efficiency bill that if enacted will reduce the nation’s energy bills, while creating jobs and reducing dangerous pollution. The bill shows that...continued→
Posted May 11, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
With summer in DC just around the corner, the Department of Energy (DOE) continues to make big steps forward for energy efficiency with new energy efficiency standards that will cut cooling costs and clothes dryer energy use. The new energy...continued→
Posted March 15, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
Senator Rand Paul has gotten a lot of media attention these last few days for his tirade during last Thursday’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. The purpose of the hearing was to consider two bills related to appliance...continued→
Posted February 17, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
It is not every day that consumer advocates, environmental advocates and appliance manufacturers agree, but today we were all pleased to see Senators Bingaman and Murkowski introduce the Implementation of National Consensus Appliance Agreements Act of 2011 (INCAAA). INCAAA implements...continued→
Posted February 3, 2011 by Meg Waltner in Curbing Pollution, Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming
Last week, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project published a great report on the jobs created by national appliance energy efficiency standards. The report found that 340,000 jobs have been created to date...continued→
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