Posted May 15, 2012 by Philip Henderson
The General Services Administration (or GSA) -- the agency that manges most of the federal government's buildings and leases -- announced today a plan to invest in systems to monitor and measure energy use in certain GSA buildings. These investments...continued→
Posted February 10, 2012 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming
My electricity bill looks like it was designed to confuse customers. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in feeling this way. Fees with seven decimal places, a "multiplier," distribution, transmission, generation charges, a single "kwh" usage amount. My home address...continued→
Posted January 12, 2012 by Philip Henderson in Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming
A recent Yahoo survey about the American consumer's evolving view of housing provides interesting and strong evidence of a definite market trend. According to the Yahoo survey, energy efficiency is a top hallmark of the "dream home" -- more consumers cited...continued→
Posted December 2, 2011 by Philip Henderson in U.S. Law and Policy
If anyone needs evidence of a smart federal initiative, one with bang-for-the-buck, take a look at President Obama's Better Buildings Initiative. Today the President announced two new elements in the ongoing effort that will deliver budget savings, create new jobs,...continued→
Posted October 24, 2011 by Philip Henderson
Several good news reports describe new legislation to correct how mortgage lenders treat homeowner energy expenses -- the Save Act (S. 1737) introduced by Senators Bennet (D-Co) and Isakson (R-GA). Here's a link to a very good article on the bill: The Idea...continued→
Posted October 18, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Curbing Pollution, Green Enterprise, U.S. Law and Policy
U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D - Colorado) and Johnny Isakson (R - Georgia) are expected today to introduce a bill titled "The Save Act." This bill can be a challenge to explain, as you'll see below, becasue it involves both mortgage...continued→
Posted June 13, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming
The White House today released a report (titled "A Policy Framework for the 21st Century Grid") (here's the fact sheet) that provides provides a compelling vision and addresses challenges of modernizing the electricity grid. One point stands in very high relief...continued→
Posted May 25, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise
Today, once again, a New York Times editiorial lodged a complaint about the Administration's signature mortgage modification program. The program essentially pays mortgage lenders and servicers to reduce the borrower's loan payments in an attempt to prevent or forestall defaults. The Times's complaint, in...continued→
Posted March 8, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Living Sustainably, Solving Global Warming
Cities and states seeking to find smart and incisive ways to spur economic growth should explore implementing Building Ratings, and the best place to start is our new website BuildingRating.org. First things first -- What are building ratings and why are...continued→
Posted February 18, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Living Sustainably
There's a strange disconnect in our economy. We devote a massive amount of resources to heat, cool, and light our millions of homes, offices, stores, public spaces, coffee-shops, etc.. Yet we track only a tiny amount information on our performance. That is, we have...continued→
Posted February 15, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Curbing Pollution, Green Enterprise, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil
Most home buyers understand the energy profile of their home only after a full year of bills have arrived. Sometimes the bills deliver a shock. Since utility bills for most familes are a major part of the household budget, and because household energy costs...continued→
Posted February 11, 2011 by Philip Henderson in U.S. Law and Policy
The Republican leadership in the House of Representatives has proposed deep cuts to an astonishing set of federal programs. Several of my colleagues have explained how prohibiting the Environmental Protection Agency from doing its work as a way to save money is foolish or deceitful. See other blogs here....continued→
Posted February 3, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
President Obama today announced several initiatives to promote energy efficiency in buildings. This announcement is welcome news. Many building owners want to invest in improving the energy efficiency of their buildings, reducing monthly energy bills and increasing the value of...continued→
Posted January 25, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Green Enterprise, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
NRDC recently joined the Real Estate Roundtable, the US Green Building Council, and Johnson Controls, Inc. in a memorandum identifying three actions the Obama administration could immediately take to better enable building owners to invest in improving the energy efficiency of commercial...continued→
Posted January 3, 2011 by Philip Henderson in Curbing Pollution, Green Enterprise, U.S. Law and Policy
Several weeks ago HUD announced the PowerSaver program, a pilot program to allow FHA to insure home improvement loans intended to create energy savings for the homeowner. The underlying concept makes a ton of sense: Homeowners making improvements that lead to lower monthly utility...continued→
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