Energy Efficiency

Conference of Mayors Release Block Grant Funding Report

On February 27th, the Conference of Mayors released survey findings summarizing how cities across the nation spent $2.7b in funding disbursed through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG). This program, authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was designed to provide state and local governments federal support to carry out…...

House Approves Energy Efficiency Bill

The House has approved the 2014 Energy Efficiency and Improvement Act intended to boost energy efficiency of commercial buildings. On March 5, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2014 (H.R. 2126), a bipartisan bill aimed to boost energy efficiency in leased commercial spaces and federal buildings.  The bill,…...

DOE Finalizes New Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Standards

DOE’s new energy efficiency standards will make commercial refrigeration equipment 30 percent more efficient. On February 28, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) finalized new energy efficiency standards for commercial refrigeration equipment used in the food retail and foodservice industry.  The new standards update 2009 standards and will make the average commercial refrigeration unit approximately…...

YieldCo Market Unfolds While Waiting for Congressional Action on MLPs

Alternative power producers continue to turn to the YieldCo model to find lower costs of capital and residual value. Investors benefit from low risk exposure to renewable energy development, high yield and more favorable tax rates, however, risks do exist. Since January 1, 2014, two new YieldCos have been announced, SunEdison and Hannon Armstrong Sustainable…...

New Energy Efficiency Finance Mechanisms Expand Market Opportunities

On January 21, Kilowatt Financial announced $100 million debt facility with Citi to support residential energy efficiency upgrades. One day later, Joule Assets announced a $100 million fund to aggregate energy efficiency and demand response projects for private equity investors. Overview Although creative energy efficiency financing has existed for decades, new mechanisms are emerging to…...

NYPA Launches New Energy Efficiency Partnership

New York Power Authority has launched a public-private collaborative to promote emerging building energy efficiency technologies that support economic growth. On February 6, 2014, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) launched the Energy Efficiency Innovation Collaborative (EE-INC), a public-private partnership of leading energy establishments, aimed to improve energy efficiency in state buildings through emerging technologies…...