Welcome to the Alliance to Save Energy's monthly newsletter e-FFICIENCY NEWS
Industry Leader Interview: Earle O’Donnell
 The Alliance to Save Energy would like to congratulate Earle O’Donnell on recently becoming a partner with the law firm of White & Case LLP. Mr. O’Donnell is on the Alliance’s board and executive committee and serves as pro bono counsel. He is a member of White & Case’s Energy, Infrastructure and Project Finance Group and heads the firm’s Energy practice. Mr. O’Donnell has received numerous accolades and awards in his distinguished career, including being named a Top Ten Attorney in Energy Law by "Legal Times".
e-FFICIENCY NEWS: I’m not sure many of our readers have a firm grasp on what energy law is or what an energy lawyer does. Can you describe for us how you first became interested in energy law and generally the types of cases you handle, both as pro bono counsel to the Alliance as well as for your other clients?
O’Donnell: My interest in energy law started as a result of many happy accidents. I first came to Washington, DC in the 1970’s to attend law school. I have always been fascinated by the interplay between government regulations, economic theory and competition. Lucky for me this was during the time of America’s first great energy crisis, the Arab oil embargo, natural gas curtailments and an intense interest by many government agencies, companies and law firms in finding ways to prevent such a thing from ever happening again. The burgeoning field of energy law gave me the opportunity to explore my fascination with these issues. Read the Full Interview
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Efficiency, By Order of the President
 President Bush signed Executive Order 13423 January 24th requiring federal government agencies to reduce energy intensity 30 percent by 2015. Achievements will be brought about largely through the use of ENERGY STAR devices, higher standards for new building construction and renovations, and an emphasis on reducing petroleum consumption and increasing alternative fuel use in federal fleets.
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MPG Makeover
 The next time you buy a car, you may be surprised to see a new window sticker outlining the vehicle's fuel economy. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued revised guidelines for calculating miles per gallon on passenger cars and trucks that more accurately reflects actual consumer fuel use. The EPA's new methods take into account factors such as increased speed limits, air conditioning use, cold weather and aggressive driving. The last time EPA revised their test methods was 1984. New label content and design will take effect for model year 2008 vehicles.
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Philips Proposes EU Incandescent Phase Out
 Royal Philips Electronics, a worldwide manufacturer of incandescent lighting, is taking steps to phase out incandescent bulbs in the European Union. At an energy-efficiency forum in Brussels, the company recently called on energy suppliers, government leaders, NGOs and representatives of the lighting industry to begin collectively and systematically replacing incandescent bulbs with energy-saving alternatives such as compact florescent lamps. Philips believes the switch-over could be accomplished in as few as 10 years.
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Moving Toward Cap and Trade?
An unlikely coalition of U.S.-based businesses and environmental organizations has called on the federal government to speed up efforts to establish national, mandatory climate protection legislation. The new U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) spent a year developing a detailed set of principles and recommendations which the alliance suggests as a blueprint for any policy framework aimed at significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The A Call to Action guide stresses the importance of acting quickly and comprehensively in order to avoid steeper emissions reductions in the future. More
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DOE Finalizes Ceiling Fan Rule
After protracted negotiations with manufacturing groups and energy-efficiency advocates, the Department of Energy (DOE) has issued its final rulemaking on ceiling fan light kits. The complete standard requires ENERGY STAR lights for most ceiling fan kits. For bulb types with non-standard sized screw bases, the DOE established a 190-watt ceiling on energy use for the entire fixture, effective January 1, 2009. Advocates say this standard promotes lights that cut energy consumption by two-thirds.
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2007 Meanest and Greenest
 The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has released their 2007 Green Book Online. The tenth edition of this environmental automotive guide identifies some of the best (and worst) cars and trucks coming off the production lines. ACEEE's "greenest" vehicle of the year is the natural gas-powered Honda Civic GX followed closely by the popular Toyota Prius hybrid and Honda Civic hybrid. Diesel reigned on the list of least friendly cars, turning in five of this year's twelve-worst list, including the Volkswagen Toureg diesel which captured the "meanest" vehicle title. All vehicles were judged according to their environmental impact which includes a thorough study of both fuel efficiency and emissions standards.
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Owens Corning's Texas Open House
 This winter the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) hosted a tour of a state-of-the-art Owens Corning insulation plant for energy-efficiency advocates and energy professionals in Waxahachie, Texas. The tour highlighted energy-efficiency improvements in both plant manufacturing and operations as well as the important role insulation plays in reducing energy waste in the building sector. In fact, insulation saves more energy every day than any other energy-efficiency product.
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What's Your State Energy Profile?
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has launched a new gateway compiling state energy data plus individual state profiles that highlight facts and statistics about state energy markets and industries. The EIA plans to expand the site to include comprehensive energy maps, reports on how different energy sources affect state markets, and links to EIA data and publications.
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Survey Says. . .
 For the past six months, the Energy Hog has been busy conducting an online survey to collect information from consumers about their energy-saving behavior, the Energy Hog campaign and website. Results from more than four thousand respondents suggest that two-thirds of adults and almost one-half of kids are already doing or considering doing something about their energy use. What's more, seven out of ten adults claim they are more concerned with saving energy in their homes than they were a year ago. The most popular actions include turning off lights and computers and replacing old lights with compact fluorescent bulbs. For more information, contact Maria Ellingson at 303-333-4570 or mellingson@ase.org .
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California: The Zero Hero
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved a waiver allowing California to move forward with its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program. The waiver requires automakers to place emissions-free vehicles (powered by fuel cells or batteries) on the road starting in 2009. The ZEV regulations also allow California to enforce requirements for other near-zero technologies such as hybrid electric vehicles and Partial Zero Emissions Vehicles (PZEVs). The Clean Air Act grants California the authority to set emissions standards stricter than federal mandate and allows other states to opt into the program. Ten other states have adopted the California regulations.
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Alliance Signs Cooperative Agreement with Beijing Conservation Group
 In 2005, the Chinese government established a five-year plan to reduce energy intensity by 20% and cut greenhouse gas emissions 10%. Recently, the Alliance to Save Energy agreed to cooperate with the Beijing Energy Conservation & Environmental Protection Center (BEEC) to promote its 2007 Energy-Saving and Environmental Protection Exhibition (BEEPE) June 10-13 in Beijing, China. Through its agreement, the Alliance is now an international partner of the BEEPE. This event will gather Europe and Asia's leading industry professionals, government authorities, academics and members of the press to exhibit advanced energy-saving technologies and share information on the future of energy efficiency and conservation.
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EE etc . . .
 What would you do if you had to choose between maintaining a healthy environment and creating jobs? According to a new book by MacArthur "genius award" Fellow and NRDC Energy Program Director David Goldstein we no longer have to make that choice. "Saving Energy Growing Jobs ," explains how proper environmental regulations can actually lead to job creation, less expensive products and less overall energy consumption.
The Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America program has released the final volume in its regional best practices handbook series for builders and homebuyers. The series provides recommendations and tips to build homes that can achieve 15% energy savings in five major U.S. climate regions - Hot-Humid, Hot-Dry & Mixed, Cold, Mixed-Humid, and Marine.
Mark your calendars for the 11th annual National Symposium on Market Transformation presented March 19-21 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE). The Symposium brings together policy makers, program planners, implementers and evaluators, as well as manufacturers and trade allies to discuss the latest progress in the field of market transformation.
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Around the Alliance
On February 12th Alliance President Kateri Callahan testified before the Energy Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. In addition to submitting written testimony, she delivered an oral statement on Building Energy Efficiency and Utility Demand-Side Efficiency. Alliance Vice-Chair Senator Byron Dorgan (D - ND) chaired the panel and Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R - AK) and Jeff Bingaman (D - NM) attended.
The Alliance would like to welcome the following new Associates this month:
Don't forget, the deadline for the 2007 Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Nominations is fast approaching. These prestigious awards honor those entities who have demonstrated a significant and tangible commitment to the cause of energy efficiency. Submit nomination forms online . For more information and nomination guidelines visit the Alliance website .
The Alliance has concluded its report on a joint Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) international forum conducted in Moscow last November. The forum, "Financing Municipal Energy Efficiency in the CIS", examined barriers to investment in energy efficiency and mechanisms that might serve to stimulate development and more widespread adoption of energy-efficiency financing throughout the region.
And, meet the employees of the month for January and February!
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Mike DeWein (January) – Mike, the Alliance’s Technical Director of the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) is being recognized for his excellent job as interim director of BCAP. Mike continually exhibits enthusiasm, spirit and dedication. We thank him for his hard work and for making the transition for new BCAP director Alisha Khan virtually effortless.
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Lauren DeFrank & Emily Curley (February) – Lauren and Emily recently assumed full responsibilities for the Alliance’s intern coordination program. They quickly threw themselves headlong into the task and were able to quickly interview and recruit a new class of energetic, dedicated interns. We appreciate Lauren and Emily’s positive attitudes and willingness to assume the added effort of finding and staffing the Alliance with interns.
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