e-FFICIENCY News: July 2005

Bipartisan Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act
Would Improve Energy Bill

From left: Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), Alliance President Kateri Callahan, and Rep. Thomas Allen (D-Maine) brief the press on EECA's merits.

Introduced by a bipartisan group of 14 leading House members (full list), the Energy Efficiency Cornerstone Act (EECA) is based on the Alliance’s “Vision 2010” policy recommendations. It includes critical energy-efficiency provisions that were not included in the energy bill passed earlier this year by the House. In a press briefing with three of the bill sponsors on Capitol Hill, Alliance President Kateri Callahan praised EECA, saying the bill "sends a strong signal that key House members will work to assure that any national energy bill finally enacted includes robust energy-efficiency provisions to reduce demand and extend our current energy supplies quickly, cheaply, and cleanly.” The House and Senate are now working quickly to try to complete the energy bill conference by next week. More.

President Bush Addresses JCI's Energy Forum, Energy Secretary Bodman Speaks at Energy Expo

President Bush delivering remarks at JCI's 2005 Energy Efficiency Forum

President Bush promoted the cause of energy efficiency in his keynote address at Alliance Associate Johnson Controls Inc.'s (JCI) Energy 2005 Energy Efficiency Forum. The president said, in part, "Increasing energy efficiency will help consumers save money. Increasing energy efficiency will leave American businesses with more capital, will make American businesses more competitive. Increasing energy efficiency will help reduce our energy consumption, and help us achieve a vital national goal, and that is making America less dependent on foreign sources of energy." Read the president's speech. More on the Forum.

Dozens of renewable energy and energy efficiency companies convened on Capitol Hill to showcase their products and practices for lawmakers, congressional staff, and the general public at the Sustainable Energy Coalition's Annual Energy Expo. Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman took the opportunity to address the group, playing up the administration's role in advancing energy efficiency and promoting the use of renewable energy. Secretary Bodman's speech.

‘Building on Success’ Recommends
Energy-Efficiency Policies for U.S. Buildings

A new report from the Alliance says current building energy codes, appliance standards, and labeling and information programs have been cornerstones of national and state energy policies, and it recommends not only expanding and improving existing programs, but also adding news ones so the country can continue reaping the energy, environmental, and financial benefits. Building on Success: Policies to Reduce Energy Waste in Buildings examines state and federal policies that have reduced energy use in buildings by 10 percent over the past 20 years and recommends more than 40 new policies or changes in policies that will continue the reductions in energy use, air emissions, and America’s energy bills for years to come. More.

Appreciation: William Keese

The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently lost a lion of energy-efficiency when William Keese relinquished the chairmanship after eight years. Appointed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson, Keese took the chairmanship in 1997 with the goal of "reinvigorating" the commission. Longtime friend and fellow Alliance Board Member S. David Freeman noted that "no one has worked as long or hard to save energy in California as Bill Keese." Keese talked with e-FFICIENCY NEWS about his tenure on the commission, the drafting of the Energy Action Plan, which Freeman credits to Keese's persistence, and his plans for the future.

e-FN: Can you talk about your experiences during the energy crisis in 2001? How did that event alter the goals you had in mind when you started at the CEC three years earlier?

WK: When the energy crisis arose in 2001, the responsibilities of the commission in attempting to deal with it were expanded, including the distribution of an additional $500 million budgeted by the legislature for energy-efficiency programs. A significant portion of CEC staff time was shifted to dealing with the efforts to bring California out of the crisis. One of the side effects of the crisis was the start of an unprecedented collaboration between the Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which resulted in the Energy Action Plan (EAP) that became the framework for California's energy policy.

The EAP created a loading order, or a prioritized list of methods we would use to meet California's electricity needs. Energy efficiency is first, renewable energy second, conventional generation is third. The plan was initially drafted--I should say "dreamed up"--at informal meetings I had with the chair of PUC, Michael Peevey, and S. David Freeman, who chaired the California Power Authority, helped to draft the EAP. Full Interview.

Transportation

Nissan Picks U.S. Site to Build Hybrids

Hybrid Altima

Nissan announced that it will invest $10 million in the Smyrna, Tenn., plant where it will build its new Hybrid Altima. The announcement comes on the heels of Toyota's decision to build Hybrid Camrys at a plant in Kentucky. Nissan and Toyota have signed an agreement whereby Nissan will buy hybrid components from Toyota, with the goal of building 100,000 hybrids in a five-year period. More.

The Bus Stops Here—‘Super-Sized’ Hybrids

Long Beach Transit became the first local bus company to introduce hybrid gasoline-electric buses into regular transit service when it put 15 new “E-Power” buses on the streets of Los Angeles County in June. Despite the hefty price tag of $550,000 each, the 40-foot people-movers have proven to be more cost- and fuel-efficient than natural gas-powered buses and 50 percent more fuel-efficient than traditional diesel buses. Long Beach Transit, which transports 28 million people annually, plans to have 47 “E-Power” buses by the end of the summer. More.