Policy News

Across the NEEP region, eight states, at least eight municipalities, and one county have passed a benchmarking ordinance. The newest state to join this illustrious group holds down the southern border of the NEEP region: West Virginia!

The clean energy transition is here and is accelerating with each day. States and communities are strengthening their carbon reduction goals and taking a serious look at new clean and efficient technologies. To stabilize the climate and meet the growing number of binding carbon commitments, the world will need to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. This is an opportunity to create new sustainable and well-paying jobs at all levels up and down the market and across sectors.

Outside my window in Boston, Massachusetts is a bright winter wonderland. It feels like forever since we’ve seen snow quite like this. Watching the mesmerizing dance of snowflakes and hearing the muffled sounds of wind and diligent snow shovelers offers the perfect time for some introspection about all that has happened this year. What a year it has been!

Strategic electrification – or the conversion of appliances and heating systems traditionally powered by fossil fuels to efficient electric alternatives – is a key piece in the decarbonization puzzle and is growing in interest among states and municipalities looking to reduce their carbon footprint. What differentiates strategic or beneficial electrification from “electrification” is that it must benefit the customer, environment, and distribution grid.

The previous two months were a good demonstration of the checks and balances embedded in state governments. There were three cases of back-and-forth vetoes between governors and their state legislatures, resulting in two energy efficiency “wins” and one “loss”. Let’s take a closer look at these cases.