NEEP News
By Sue Coakley, NEEP Executive Director
Special to the Worcester Business Journal Originally published July 4, 2011
Listen to local business leaders and you'll hear that energy efficiency does matter to our regional economic strength and in building strong vibrant communities, especially in these uncertain economic times. Supported by federal and regional funding programs such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, state grants and by ratepayers themselves, energy efficiency measures bring jobs to our region and deliver real money to our communities. Every dollar invested in efficiency returns $2.60 to New Englanders, according to a report compiled by NEEP.
Response by NEEP's Public Policy Associate, Josh Craft, to a recent NJ Spotlight article.
In today's NJ Spotlight, “ Does Energy Efficiency Make It Tough for Utilities to Afford Upgrades?“, Mr. Johnson is correct that “it’s not your father’s utility company anymore.”
He is wrong, however, to suggest that energy efficiency is undermining efforts to reduce energy costs and make new investments in energy infrastructure. Forward-thinking utilities and policymakers have recognized that energy efficiency is New Jersey’s cheapest and most reliable source of energy. A few simple facts will help clarify the need for more, not less, investment in energy efficiency:
An article in Consulting Specifying Engineer by Carolyn Sarno discussing the benefits of mandatory disclosure of a building's energy performance and how its future could impact the buying and selling of commercial properties.
Letter To the Editor by Jim O'Reilly
To the Editor:
Alec Appelbaum's Op-Ed article about the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program ("Don't LEED Us Astray," May 20) was spot on. The main problem with LEED is that designers, builders and governments - with the United States Green Building Council's encouragement - are using it in place of better building design tools that will guarantee energy savings. After all, how "green" can a building really be if it isn't energy efficient?
NJ Star Ledger Op-Ed By Susan Coakley
Gov. Chris Christie has recently said it's time to make the state more business friendly again, and that a clean environment and a strong economy aren't mutually exclusive. We couldn't agree more.
That's why, even in the midst of this unprecedented budget crisis, it's troubling that some of the largest budget cuts are landing on the Clean Energy Programs that are fueling one of the leading sectors for job growth in New Jersey.
Lexington Minuteman March 17
Boston - Sen. John Kerry today congratulated five Massachusetts organizations for being named as 2010 ENERGY STAR Partners of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
In order for facility managers to reduce energy costs and consumption, they must have a handle on how much energy their facility consumes, starting with electricity. Here's how to analyze and understand your building's electricity usage.
By: Matt Alderton for lowesforpros.com
PHOENIX, Feb. 24, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Energy Services Professionals (www.aesp.org) announced winners of its Energy Awards. Honorable Mention was given to Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (www.neep.org) for Outstanding Achievement in Energy Program Design & Implementation for its DesignLights Consortium (DLC).
Northeast states could greatly increase the energy efficiency of homes and buildings through a public policy requiring the rating and disclosure of a building's energy performance, according to a new report commissioned by Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP).
Environment New Jersey, joined by clean energy businesses and advocates, released a report titled Toward A Clean Energy Future: The Vision, the Track Record, and the Challenge Ahead for New Jersey's Leaders. It detailed New Jersey's clean energy progress to date, and laid out a practical, forward-looking blueprint for Governor Christie and the New Jersey Legislature to follow.
The multi-state non-profit Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) underscored the importance of energy efficiency measures as the fastest, cheapest way to save money, clear the air, and help fight global warming.
PROVIDENCE - When the General Assembly passed and Governor Carcieri signed into law this year legislation mandating green building standards for public buildings in Rhode Island, the measure had some of the broadest support any bill could engender.
The law requires conformance with standards, such as the Northeast Collaborative for High-Performance Schools Protocol.
OKLAHOMA CITY - Energy conversation is cheaper and less risky than developing new forms of alternative fuels, the director of the Vermont Regulatory Assistance Project said Wednesday.
Speaking to a group of several hundred at the Oklahoma Wind Energy Conference in Oklahoma City, Richard Sedano, a member of the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership's board of directors, said the country should develop policies that encourage conservation while it seeks to develop new sources of energy.
KEMA (www.kema.com) has identified opportunities to address existing gaps in and problems with energy end-use data used to support utility energy efficiency programs, electric capacity markets, and environmental policy. The findings are part of KEMA's "End-Use Load Data Update Project" sponsored by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Regional Technical Forum (RTF) and the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP) Evaluation Measurement and Verification (EM&V) Forum.
The nation's leading manufacturers of residential central air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps have signed a voluntary agreement with the nation's leading energy-efficiency advocacy organizations, including NEEP, supporting new federal standards for their products, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
On Monday, state regulators petitioned the Department of Energy to allow Massachusetts to enforce stricter efficiency standards for gas furnaces than are in place at the federal level.
A NEEP report, "An Energy Efficiency Strategy for New Jersey: Achieving the 2020 Master Plan Goals," released today by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities offers a portfolio of program and policy strategies to achieve the Energy Master Plan 2020 goal while collectively realizing $16.8 billion in net savings.
Calling for the formation of a New Jersey Energy Efficiency Utility, NEEP recommends a comprehensive statewide energy efficiency program complemented by public policies that establish minimum energy requirements for new appliances, and new homes and buildings.
April 29, 2009: Delaware News Journal, "State of State reflects hard times." NEEP's Executive Director, Sue Coakley, comments on Delaware's intent to pursue a 15% reduction goal for electricity consumption and peak demand by 2015 - including efficiency programs, building energy codes, and development of a statewide energy efficiency policys.
