Summer used to be the quiet season. But for those in energy efficiency, the heat is still on. As I write this, NEEP's Policy Team is gearing up to comment on a suite of energy related bills before the Massachusetts legislature - with one of the potentially most impactful designed to create an efficiency funding source for people who heat with "delivered fuels" like oil and propane. H 879 would collect a systems benefit charge at the wholesale level, helping thousands of households weatherize their homes and upgrade heating equipment, while slashing energy waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile in New York, we continue to pour over NYSERDA's proposed Operating Plan for Technology and Market Development, and will commend the planned use of Systems Benefit Charge funding to continue building the pipeline for the energy advances of tomorrow. This edition's In Focus section features NYSERDA's John Williams talking about his vision for the plan.

We also have the opportunity to weigh in on New Jersey's Energy Master Plan, with comments due in late August. While there are some positives, like continued emphasis on building codes, our take is that the plan is short on details on the role efficiency will play in meeting the state's energy needs, relies too heavily on new generation and fails to build on the vision laid out in the 2008 Energy Master Plan authored by NEEP and our partners.

Of course the fight to keep and strengthen RGGI goes on, and shoring up support from businesses that get it when it comes to efficiency is a central part of the allied effort. Just a smattering of what we're doing on our summer vacation - read on for more of the region's highlights.

Thanks for reading Highlights. As always, we welcome your questions and feedback!