UPDATE: Since the March 2016 publication of this original blog post, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) last week issued an order officially approving a settlement agreement Environmental Defense Fund, along with several other stakeholders, helped negotiate for Duke Energy’s grid modernization plan. The IURC’s order approved the settlement (details of which are outlined in… Keep reading →
New York City may not be the place that comes to mind when you think of clean air, but NYC has done tremendous work in improving air quality – and now our neighbors in upstate Westchester County are following suit. Seeing the positive health impacts from the phase-out of highly polluting heating oil in NYC,… Keep reading →
What do economists and environmentalists have in common? When it comes to Texas’ energy future, more than you may think. According to a new study from the Brattle Group, a reputable, national economics consulting firm with extensive experience in Texas’ electricity sector, market forces are leading to coal’s rapid decline in the Lone Star State.… Keep reading →
I cringed when I read this quote, attributed to a senior military representative in Scientific American. I understood what he was trying to say, but the sound bite could easily be misinterpreted. The Department of Defense (DoD) most certainly “does green,” and it has for some time now. At the highest level of leadership, there… Keep reading →
A recent decision by New Jersey utility regulators to standardize energy efficiency procedures for commercial buildings could have a major impact – not just on the Garden State – but on energy markets nationwide. The reason: It gives investors more confidence in performance and returns which is exactly what can fuel a big push to… Keep reading →
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT AND THREE NEW PROJECTS TO FOCUS ON RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION OF PLUG-IN ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN TECHNOLOGIES WASHINGTON – Building on the notable successes of the SuperTruck initiative, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Reuben Sarkar today announced SuperTruck II, an $80 million funding opportunity, subject to congressional appropriations, for research, development and demonstration… Keep reading →
New York’s environmental and utility regulators are moving closer to a unified approach to building a cleaner, more robust, and affordable energy system. The Public Service Commission (PSC), New York’s utility regulator, has been working to rethink how New York makes, moves, and uses electricity through its innovative Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative. Specifically, it… Keep reading →
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to cut energy waste in the nation’s buildings, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today recognized the city of West Palm Beach for their leadership in improving energy efficiency across 1.4 million square feet of building space by 20 percent within 10… Keep reading →
General Electric (GE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have created new kinds of fluorescent lighting phosphors that use far less rare-earth elements than current technology. Phosphors are the substances inside fluorescent tube bulbs that make them glow. Rare-earth elements are hard to come by. The United States… Keep reading →
Clean energy investments are soaring worldwide, and the United States is no exception with $56 billion going toward renewable generation in 2015, an 8-percent increase over the year before. So why are some utilities going against this trend – and risking a contest against more progressive competitors that are gaining market share at their expense?… Keep reading →
