For the third time since 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing the EPA’s regulation of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act. Overview On February 24, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments over the case Utility Air Regulatory Group v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on whether EPA is ultimately legitimized…
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…
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’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…
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…
NYPA has launched Energy Master Plans for five cities and is soliciting public input to develop and coordinate individual city plans. On February 27, 2014, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced Energy Master Plans for the cities of Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers to reduce energy costs and consumption, advance sustainability, strengthen energy…
To date, the 2009 Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy has invested $900M for innovative projects leveraging $625M in private funding. On February 25, 2014, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) announced that it has advanced 22 innovative projects over the past five years, leveraging approximately $625M private funding following its…
Con Edison’s new multi-year rate plan keeps electric, gas, and steam delivery charges unchanged for 2 to 3 years and includes $1B for climate resiliency measures. Consolidated Edison Company’s (Con Edison) new multi-year, rate-stabilizing agreement approved by the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) on February 20, 2014 will keep its base electric rates…
Joule Assets and Kilowatt Financial have both unveiled $100 million funds for energy efficiency projects. Kilowatt specializes in project financing in solar and efficiency sectors and closed a credit facilitation with Citi on January 21. Kilowatt’s fund is segmented towards homeowners from 10 to 12 years up to $30,000. This recent development is leading to…
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…
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…
DOE’s new efficiency standards for external power supplies update 2007 standards and establish new standards for power supplies that are currently not subject to regulations. On February 3, 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued new energy efficiency standards for external power supplies (EPS) used in consumer applications to convert wall outlet power into lower…
