By Josh Craft |
ISO-New England made headlines recently when it announced that wholesale electric prices fell by 23% between 2011 and 2012, driven by low natural gas prices. That’s good news for consumers throughout New England, and there is more good news for the region.
ISO-New England also reported that electricity consumption dropped by 0.6% to 128,249 GWh (normalized for weather) compared with 2011. This…
By Josh Craft |
The Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region has shown strong progress in delivering energy efficiency programs with greater investment and more aggressive saving goals. As noted in our 2012 Regional Roundup, several states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont have approved multi-year electric and gas energy efficiency plans aiming to continue capture all cost-effective…
By Josh Craft |
Given the devastation in the Northeast wrought by Hurricane Sandy, climate change is back in the news. And a new report by the Washington D.C.-based think tank Resources for the Future has gotten significant attention because it finds that the U.S. contribution to greenhouse gas emissions may be lower in 2020 than it would have been had Congress passed the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill. “US…
By Josh Craft |
Presidential election aside, November brings many important state and federal policy developments for energy efficiency. From state elections and energy efficiency plans, the Northeast states will be busy this month shaping energy and regulatory policy and NEEP will be there to provide you with context and analysis on what's to come. Here are some notable developments in energy efficiency…
By Josh Craft |
March means that we are reaching a critical time in the year for energy efficiency policy, particularly in state legislatures. This week’s Policy Tracker lists some of the policy areas that NEEP has been engaged on over the last few months.
Recent NEEP Policy Work: Oil Heat Energy Efficiency Programs, Building Energy Rating policies in Connecticut and Maine, Energy Codes Advocacy, and…
By Josh Craft |
Congressman Ed Markey of Massachusetts
This past Monday a large contingent of energy industry leaders met at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston to share ideas and discuss the status of energy transmission systems across the United States for the “New England Clean Energy Transmission Summit.” Everyone from operators to engineers to government employees were in attendance, with several major…
By Josh Craft |
Recently, Massachusetts's landmark energy efficiency law, the Green Communities Act of 2008, has come under criticism for raising energy costs and harming state businesses at the expense of its utility companies. Governor Deval Patrick, though, reminded the people during his State of the Commonwealth speech that one of the nation's most ambitious clean energy bills is paying off. Here's the…
By Josh Craft |
Happy 2012 everyone! As we head full steam into 2012, NEEP’s Policy Team is keeping a close eye on five key policy developments that will have an impact on energy efficiency policy this year:
1. Major Energy Efficiency Polices under Attack
2012 looks to be a year in which landmark energy efficiency laws come under attack in state legislatures. In Massachusetts and Maine, for instance, their…