Setting the Table for Building Decarbonization

With the legislative sessions in most states drawn to a close, but active regulatory dockets with many of our region’s regulatory commissions, NEEP’s December 2015 Policy Tracker provides a succinct overview of what our team considers to be the most important ongoing regulatory news in each jurisdiction. Massachusetts regulators continue their review of the recently submitted 2016-…

All I want is a heat pump for the holidays. You think that I’m joking, but I’m not. My room is FREEZING in the winter and a sweatbox in the summer. I’m getting tired of having to wrestle with the three (3!) blankets necessary to survive the Bostonian winters.  I haven’t forgotten last year’s winter, nor the high energy bills, which is precisely why I’m in the market for an energy-efficient…

The term Market Transformation gets tossed around a fair amount in the energy efficiency sphere, but what does it actually mean? And how can it be fully achieved? Our friends over at NEEA, a fellow REEO and respected authority on the subject, devised a definition for the term with equal parts elegance and accuracy: “Market Transformation is the strategic process of intervening in a market…

This post was contributed by Lara Bonn, Efficiency Vermont's Efficient Products Strategic Planning Manager. Imagine yourself in the home improvement store. You need a light bulb. You are looking down at two different options; they are both light-emitting diodes (LEDs). One bulb has a price tag of about $3 and the other costs $4.99. The packaging is slightly different, but they are almost…

Picture this: It's Friday night; you and your closest friends are getting together at your place. As the host, you decide to provide the libations for your event. While picking up that cold six-pack of beer, you notice a sign on the freezer door that explains that the price of your six-pack has been reduced due to the recent implementation of commercial refrigeration retrofits. You think to…

UPDATE: On January 25, 2016, the Supreme Court voted to reverse and remand the lower court's decision, reaffirming FERC's jurisdiction over compensation levels for demand response in wholesale markets. It’s not every day that the U.S. Supreme Court contemplates the boundaries of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)’s authority under the Federal Power Act, but that’s exactly the…

In this edition, we cover three of the most notable policy developments in the region, including a shakeup at the Maryland Energy Administration, recent news from New York, and signals from Massachusetts that energy efficiency will remain a first order resource. We then close with a brief summary of the EPA’s new air quality rule, and why it matters for energy efficiency.    Maryland…

The joint energy efficiency program administrators (PAs) and the stakeholder Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC) have delivered another landmark statewide plan for Massachusetts. The final plan is being sent to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) for approval on October 30, passed by the Council with overwhelming support. While some details remain to be worked out in program…

Electric utility companies across the nation are working to modernize their infrastructure in ways that will reduce costs, improve customer service and reliability, and add a range of capabilities — some that were unimaginable just a few years ago. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), including customer meters with two-way communication and real-time data collection, is a key part of grid…

Massachusetts, you’ve done it again! Today, the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy (ACEEE) announced that it has selected the Bay State as the most energy efficient in the nation – this marks the fifth year Massachusetts has topped the charts for national energy efficiency policy and practice. Of course, the real winners reaping the rewards are the residents and businesses…