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Welcome to the Alliance to Save Energy's monthly newsletter e-FFICIENCY NEWS

Industry Leader Interview: Michael Richards

Michael Richards is the President of the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico. With interest in reducing energy use in the built environment coming from policy makers, home buyers, and the building community, home builders associations are beginning to encourage and support sustainable practices. Mr. Richards was kind enough to share his insights on the effectiveness of building codes, the costs and history of green building, and the many resources available to contractors, homeowners and others.

e-FFICIENCY NEWS: Green building is not a new concept. Yet some of our readers may not be familiar with the concept, practices or benefits. Can you give us a practical explanation of green building?

Richards: You're right; green building has been around for as long as people have been building homes. We define green building as a systemic approach to construction that reduces construction waste, saves water and energy, and creates a healthy environment to live in. Read the Full Interview

New Energy Legislation on the Horizon?

A new bill introduced by Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Pete Domenici (R-NM) encouraging widespread energy efficiency could potentially save consumers billions annually. The Energy Efficiency Promotion Act of 2007 (S. 1115), which incents technologies and practices encouraging consumers and businesses to utilize energy more efficiently, recently passed through markup in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The legislation supports new energy-efficiency appliance and equipment standards; permanently extends authority for Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs); creates a new commercial building initiative, and establishes federal energy-efficiency leadership standards.

A Supreme Decision on Auto Emissions

On April 2, the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, specifically from vehicles. The 5-4 decision determined that carbon dioxide should be considered a pollutant under the Clean Air Act unless the EPA can provide scientific evidence to the contrary. This ruling does not require the EPA to issue standards for GHG emissions but does set a precedent for several pending state cases seeking to curb auto emissions.

Lighting Industry Comes Together on Efficiency

The National Electrical Manufacturing Association (NEMA) has announced its support for national energy-efficient lighting policy. Citing a desire to avoid marketplace confusion, NEMA members called for a unified federal solution that would set clear performance standards and eliminate the least efficient products. NEMA is a trade association representing some of the world's largest lighting manufacturers including GE, Halco, OSRAM SYLVANIA, Philips Lighting, and Westinghouse.

Saving Energy at HP

In the latest in a series of environmental and energy saving announcements, HP has set a goal to reduce its global energy use 20 percent by 2010. The new goal will be accomplished by delivering energy-efficient products and services to customers and instituting sustainable practices throughout facilities in the company. HP recently introduced a new series of desktop PCs that meet EPA's ENERGY STAR specification, have redesigned print cartridge packing in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and is also focusing efforts on data center cooling to deliver additional energy savings.

Maryland Makes Efficiency, Climate a Priority

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley (D) is not wasting time in his efforts to tackle energy issues and climate change. The Governor recently signed two bills, a regional initiative and an Executive Order, in an effort to encourage greater energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the state. More ...

Greening the Capitol

In March, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D - CA) directed Daniel Beard, the House chief administrative officer (CAO), to develop a set of recommendations and initiatives that would effectively "green" the U.S. Capitol. On April, 19, the CAO delivered a preliminary report detailing several efforts that would reduce the environmental impacts throughout the several million square feet of the House building complex. Recommendations include operating the House in a carbon neutral manner; shifting to 100 percent renewable electric power; improving energy efficiency; adoption of sustainable business practices; and offsets to ensure carbon neutral operations. The final report will be issued at the end of June.

Can We Curb Industrial Energy Consumption?

The EPA has released a report tracking energy consumption and trends in the U.S. industrial manufacturing sector and identifying energy-saving opportunities that could offset anticipated increases in both energy use and CO2 emissions. The report identifies five strategies that the nation's most energy-intensive industrial sectors can utilize to cut emissions and improve efficiency: cleaner fuels, combined heat and power; retrofits and replacing older equipment with efficient alternatives; best practices in energy management; and investments in research and development.

EE, etc…

Save the date for Electricity 2007 , EEI's annual convention and expo. Hundreds of industry executives will gather June 17-19 in Denver, CO to discuss power generation, transmission, distribution and other key issues impacting the electric industry.

Interested in clean energy investment practices in Asia? Then you won't want to miss the Asia Clean Energy Forum in Manila, Philippines June 26-28. This event will provide project developers, financiers, and government agencies an opportunity to share information and ideas on clean energy investment and promotion throughout Asia.

Mark your calendars for the 2007 Energy-Saving and Environmental Protection Exhibition. Hosted June 10-13 in Beijing, China, this international exposition and forum 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.

Street Smart San Diego is a regional event and exhibition organized to showcase alternative fuel vehicles and educate citizens about energy-efficient automotive technologies and practices. Join Ed Begley, Jr., San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and others May 18 for a glimpse into the sustainable transportation future.

Around the Alliance

The Alliance would like to welcome the following new Associates this month:

American Lighting Association
ARUP
Extruded Polystyrene Foam Association (XPSA)
ExxonMobil Corporation
Guardian Industries
The Kentucky Office of Energy Policy

The agenda for the Energy Efficiency Global Forum and Exposition (EE Global) is now available online. EE Global will feature four Plenary Sessions and thirty-six Executive Dialogue Sessions, highlighting the impact of energy efficiency on all end-use sectors. With over 50 prominent speakers already confirmed, the Alliance to Save Energy's inaugural international conference will be the premier event of the energy-efficiency community.

May's employee of the month award goes to Maria Ellingson. After taking a short maternity leave and then working part time, Maria has once again joined the Alliance on a full time basis. In addition to managing the Energy Hog campaign, Maria will work with the Green Schools Program and assume responsibilities for organizing EE Global's Media Day and Public Day. Welcome back, Maria and thanks again for all your hard work!

It's spring once again, time to break out the bats, oil the mitts, and rally the Alliance to Save Energy Killer Watts. Already the team has taken to the Mall and claimed three victories, losing their first effort due to a combination of rusty skills and a poor showing in the annual enviro-softball league winter draft.

e-FFICIENCY NEWS: May 2007

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