Energy efficiency upgrades through DOE’s Better Buildings Neighborhood Program have saved more than $730M on energy bills. On May 21, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that is Better Buildings Neighborhood Program has worked with 41 state and local governments and their partners to upgrade energy efficiency in more than 100,000 buildings, saving more than…
Multiple energy industries rely on federal tax incentives to spur private investment in commercializing renewable technologies. However, the periodic expirations of these tax credits have led to business uncertainty and an inability to make long-term planning decisions. The most recent Senate extender bill – the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act of 2014…
In 2013, New York Power Authority (NYPA) produced approximately 27.8B kilowatt-hours, approximately 20 percent of the state’s power. Approximately 70 percent of this power came from clean, renewable hydropower. NYPA, the nation’s largest state-owned power organization, is at the forefront of innovative energy, environmental, and economic development initiatives. As a leading provider of low-cost electricity,…
The 2014 Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act failed in the Senate, disrupted by debate over the Keystone XL pipeline approval and proposed power plant regulations. On May 12, 2014, the 2014 Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (S. 2262) failed in the Senate as Democrats and Republicans could not reach an agreement on amendments…
DOE’s Better Buildings Challenge has added new partners and financial allies, expanding its energy efficiency efforts to more than one billion square feet of building space. On May 9, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that its Better Buildings Challenge partners are on track to meet their energy performance goals, having achieved an annual…
New York’s fast-evolving energy industry is focused on preparing for a future in which new technologies present broad opportunities to modernize energy systems in ways that could significantly increase resiliency. In June 2013, New York unveiled a comprehensive plan to increase infrastructure and building resilience including initiatives to mitigate weather-related impacts. These initiatives are designed…
Since the turn of the century, increased scrutiny has been placed on the U.S. electric grid. The threat of weather disruption, physical and cyber-attacks, and decreased regional power generation capacity due to emissions regulations are key factors framing the debate over how to achieve power security and supply. Overview In 2012, Hurricane Sandy exposed electric…
The Supreme Court upheld EPA’s air pollution rule that regulates cross-border emissions of 28 upwind states to address downwind states’ compliance with air quality standards. On April 29, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), reversing an August 2012 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals…
ARPA-E has announced two programs to address methane emissions and develop innovative heating and cooling devices for buildings. On April 29, 2014, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) announced $60M for innovative programs to reduce oil and gas sector methane emissions and facilitate energy-efficient thermal management in buildings. ARPA-E…
On February 5, 2014, The New York Green Bank (NYGB) issued its first solicitation for project funding. With project funding commencing, NYGB aims to create a sustainable stream of private capital to replace intermittent grants and subsidies from state and federal sources, and be the first U.S. Green Bank to target $1 billion in capitalization….
DOE has released a draft solicitation for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that could provide up to $4B in loan guarantees. On April 16, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a draft loan guarantee solicitation for innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency projects aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Renewable Energy and…
On January 2, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission officially entered into two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). The MOUs will provide solutions for overlapping jurisdiction and sharing information of mutual interest. Overview On March 5, 2014, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced…
