e-FFICIENCY NEWS: June 2005

Alliance, Ford Motor Encourage Localities to ‘Drive’ for Efficiency

Cover from The Drive to Efficient Transportation

Local and state legislators who want to incentivize energy efficiency no longer have to reinvent the wheel. A new handbook developed by the Alliance to Save Energy with support from Ford Motor Company will help states and localities encourage their residents to purchase and use energy-efficient transportation technologies. The information in The Drive to Efficient Transportation: State Policies to Encourage the Purchase and Use of Light-Duty Advanced Technology Vehicles and Alternative Fuels offers state policy makers a menu of incentives and programs that have been adopted in other states. News release. Handbook.

Policy

U.S., World Mayors Lead Way on Climate Change
On Two Fronts

The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, a coalition spearheaded by Seattle Mayor Greg Nichols, reached its 141-city goal when Lexington, Ky. signed on, three months after Nichols called upon the nation’s mayors to match the number of Kyoto Protocol signatory countries and adopt the Kyoto emissions targets for their own urban centers. By accepting the ‘Kyoto Challenge,” these cities—ranging from liberal San Francisco to conservative Hurst, TX—have agreed to enact policies and programs to reduce global warming pollution levels by 2012 to 7 percent below 1990 levels. “Goal Met” News Advisory US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

Also, mayors from around the world pledged to make their cities more “green” at the United Nations Conference on Environmental Issues, held in San Francisco earlier this month. Mayors from many major cities attended and had the opportunity to sign a 21-point pledge agreeing to reduce GHG emissions, among other things. More on the United Nations Conference on Environmental Issues

California's Chief 'Terminator'
Sets Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets

GHG reduction is intended to stem global warming

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 2000 levels by 2010; 1990 levels by 2020; and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. How does the state plan to hit these targets? One way is through the development and use of new technology. Some see the state’s new emissions targets as economic boons. "Technologies that reduce GHG emissions are increasingly in demand in the worldwide marketplace," said California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Allan Lloyd. More

Japan Encourages Energy Efficiency Purchases

The Japanese government recently introduced a national campaign urging its citizens to replace their older appliances with energy-efficient models and buy hybrid vehicles, all part of a patriotic effort to save energy and fight global warming, reports The New York Times. More.

House Cuts Key Energy-Efficiency Programs;
Committee Faults DOE on Appliance Standards

The House passed appropriations bills late last month with funding cuts for energy-efficiency programs in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE). The House recommended $50 million for EPA’s Energy Star Program, $500,000 less than the administration requested, and $757 million for DOE programs, down $11 million from last year. However, within those numbers, funding for appliance standards, assistance to the states on building codes, and buildings R&D was restored to near last year’s levels. Industrial programs did not fare as well. In addition, the House Appropriations Committee addressed DOE delays in issuing appliance standards with strong report language requested by the Alliance and others that requires a detailed DOE report late this year on plans to accelerate the rulemaking process. See a detailed chart of funding levels for DOE's energy efficiency programs.

Transportation

Alliance Applauds Politicians
Who ‘Drive the Drive’ on Efficiency

Red, white, and blue (and green): Both Republicans and Democrats--and one Independent--embrace hybrid technology.

Alliance Congressional Vice-Chair James Jeffords (I-Vt.) is one of 16 members of Congress currently driving or awaiting delivery of a hybrid vehicle. Other public figures who can be seen cruising in their hybrids are Republican Govs. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Robert Ehrlich, Jr. (Md.) and National Democratic Chair Howard Dean. The Alliance applauds the eight senators, eight congressmen, and all other public officials who not only “walk the talk’ on fuel efficiency but also “drive the drive.” More.

I want my Prius!

As gas prices remain high, so does the demand for hybrid vehicles. People on waiting lists for Priuses are often willing to pay above-sticker prices for used models, reports the Associated Press. Last year’s used Prius may even sell for $1,000 to $3,000 more than a new model! AP Story.

Toyota to Build Hybrid Camry in Ky.

Partially assembled cars pass along Toyota's Georgetown, Ky., assembly plant. (AP photo)

In Kentucky, a single horse can cost more than $100,000, hardly practical for transportation. But Toyota is planning to build a car in that state that most commuters can actually afford: a hybrid version of its popular Camry. Toyota projects that the Kentucky plant can build about 48,000 hybrid Camrys each year, and it will be the first to produce hybrids in North America. When it rolls off the assembly line, the hybrid Camry will join three other Toyota hybrid models: the Prius sedan, the Lexus RX400h SUV, and the Highlander SUV. “Manufacturing the hybrid Camry in the United States will produce jobs, give consumers yet another hybrid vehicle option, and help to promote clean and efficient transportation,” stated Martha Voss, national public affairs manager, Toyota. More.

Tour de Sol Champions Win One for Mother Earth

Transportation’s most exciting innovations in the field of fuel efficiency and alternative energy were on display at the 17th annual Tour de Sol festival and competition in New York State. Taking top honors is a modified Honda Insight hybrid that maintained 94 miles per gallon over a 150-mile range and a biodiesel vehicle—which consumes no oil—designed and built from scratch by West Philadelphia High School students. News Release. More results.

Saudi Oil Minister: ‘Efficiency’ Important in World’s Energy Future

Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi

Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi urged “energy efficiency and conservation” to maximize the world’s energy resources and meet the growing demand for oil. Speaking at a recent energy conference in Washington, D.C., Al-Naimi also identified resolving delivery bottlenecks and improving supply and demand information transparency, among other steps, as contributing to better worldwide energy security. Saudi Oil Minister’s Speech—‘Efficiency’ (from Embassy of Saudi Arabia).

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Exclusive Interview: Michael S. Pappas

Energy costs are an unavoidable business expense, but there are ways to minimize them, often without changing a single component or purchasing any special equipment. For 25 years, Modular Process Control (MPC) has been helping businesses improve the bottom line by reducing their energy bills. Michael S. Pappas, Vice President of MPC, talked with e-FFICIENCY NEWS about his company’s role in providing organizations with focused, corporate-wide energy management expertise.

e-FN: Why are many industrial facilities in Japan and Europe more energy-efficient than many in America?

MP: Historically, energy has been more costly in Japan and Europe than in the U.S. We’re now crying about $2 gasoline, but in Europe it’s been $4-5 for decades. Now that we have $6-plus natural gas, all of a sudden that’s on the radar screen, too. Why wasn’t energy-efficiency important in the good old days of $1.90 gas? It was still an expense then. That has always been somewhat of a mystery to us. Plants that used to spend $5-10 million for natural gas are now spending $15-30 million. Hey, $5-10 million is still a big number. It’s now getting attention. Better late than never. Full interview.

Alliance Associates

Alliance Welcomes New Associate GreenBiz.com

Joining the ranks of Alliance Associates in May is GreenBiz.com, a resource on business and the environment. Visit GreenBiz.com

Alliance Associate SCE Receives $57 Million for Energy Efficiency

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously to award Alliance Associate Southern California Edison (SCE) an additional $57 million to boost its energy-efficiency portfolio, according to Flex Your Power, a California energy-efficiency outreach campaign. Rebate increases and program changes join a host of new programs, including the 20/20 Summer Savings program, that rewards SCE’s residential and commercial customers for reducing summer energy use. Rebates and programs.

Alliance Associate ComEd Invests
In Hybrid Trucks, SUVs

Hybrid Ford Escapes, like this one, have been added tot he ComEd fleet.

Electric utilities know the value of energy efficiency. One utility, Alliance Associate ComEd, is investing in energy efficiency through the purchase of hybrid SUVs and brand-new hybrid bucket trucks, also called “cherry pickers.” ComEd is a subsidiary of Alliance Associate Exelon. “As part of our commitment to promoting environment-friendly technology, last year we were the first utility in the Midwest to test drive the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid,” said Bill Pettit, director, fleet services, Exelon Energy Delivery. News release.

State and Local Action

Wall Street Journal: More States Favor
Energy-Efficient Buildings

The last few issues of e-FFICIENCY NEWS have included stories about states (e.g. Washington) and cities (e.g. Chicago) that have mandated that all new public building projects meet the standards for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The Wall Street Journal now reports that more and more cities and states are adopting these building codes. More.

Student Energy Audit Reaps Immediate Monetary Reward For Mass. School

Students from Cohen Hillel Academy receive a check from the Marblehead Light Department.

Usually, energy audits take at least a couple of months to yield significant return, but the Cohen Hillel Academy in Marblehead, Mass., reaped monetary benefits right away. While performing an energy audit of the school building, five students discovered that the academy had already upgraded to energy-efficient light bulbs from older fluorescent lighting, a conservation measure that entitled the school to a $1,180 financial rebate from the municipal utility, the Marblehead Light Department. More.

Georgia Victory: Commission Orders Reinstatement
Of Energy-Efficiency Programs

After months of coordinated efforts, the Alliance and its partners in the Georgia Demand-Side Management (Energy Efficiency) Working Group saw their work come to fruition when the Georgia Public Service Commission voted 5 to 0 to accept the group’s recommendations. The commission will soon issue a final order requiring Georgia Power to offer four new energy-efficiency programs to the company's residential customers, the first time in more than a decade that such programs will be available. More.

General Electric’s ‘Ecomagination’ Out to Prove ‘Green’ is Good for Business

Screen shot from GE's interactive Ecomagination web site.

“Increasingly for business, ‘green’ is green,” asserted General Electric Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt at the May unveiling of the mega-company’s groundbreaking multimillion-dollar initiative—Ecomagination. Its goals are to make money while dramatically increasing environmentally-friendly products and operations. Many of the products, like hybrid locomotives and new types of lighting, will be more energy-efficient than products that currently dominate the market. Under the campaign, GE plans to double its annual investment in research in cleaner technology from $700 million today to $1.5 billion by 2010 and double revenues from such products to $20 billion. News Release—‘Ecomagination’ Launch Web site.

Alliance Activities

Alliance’s ‘Great Energy Efficiency Debate’ Draws Hundreds

S. David Freeman speaks his mind at the 2nd Great Energy Efficiency Debate.

Some 400 attendees listened raptly as energy experts agreed or debated conflicting views on energy and energy efficiency at the Alliance’s Second Great Energy Efficiency Debate. One particularly spirited exchange revolved around America’s “oil addiction.” Alliance Board Member S. David Freeman opined, “We've improved efficiency for 25 years, but we're still in the same fix. We need cars that run on hydrogen. . . . We are funding both sides in the war on terror—one side with our tax money, and the other with our gas money.” More about the Great Energy Efficiency Debate. See pictures, read excerpts, watch video.

Alliance Honors Three ‘Unsung Heroes’

From left: Lowell Ungar, Alliance; Jennifer Barrett, Rep, Mark Udall's office; Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.); Rick Gerardi, NYSERDA; Kateri Callahan, Alliance; Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Tex.); Kara Rinaldi, Alliance; Jeff Duncan, Rep. Ed Markey's office; Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.).

The Alliance to Save Energy has honored two congressional staffers and a state energy manager with its Unsung Heroes award and induction into its Energy Efficiency Hall of Fame. Established in 2004, the Hall of Fame recognizes the often unheralded government employees who champion energy efficiency on a daily basis. This year’s awardees are Jeff Duncan, legislative director for Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.); Jennifer Barrett, deputy legislative director for Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.); and Rick Gerardi, director for residential programs for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). More.

Alliance, Penlangi Distribute Best Practices Guidebook For Indonesia Hotels

Attendees watch a presentation before receiving their guidebooks.

In coordination with its Indonesian partner organization Pelangi and the Jakarta Tourism Body, the Alliance distributed a guidebook on energy-efficiency best practices for hotels at an outreach seminar for hotels and resorts in Jakarta, Indonesia. The publication consists of energy-efficiency guidelines for hotels; good housekeeping measures; and a list of no-cost/low-cost and higher-end technology improvements for energy savings. More.

Alliance Staff Bikes to Work

Alliance staffers braved a heavy rain storm on Friday, May 20, to participate in National Bike to Work Day.

From left: Margaret McMorrow, Maria Ellingson, and Merrilee Harrigan after drying off from their ride into work. Adam Hudson also rode in, but was unavailable for the photo.