California's passage of two aggressive climate bills offers good news for microgrids, since they can act as levers to help the state reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Once again, the state has led the climate change battle, this time with last week's passage by the state legislature of the two bills, SB 32 and AB 197. The bills aim to reduce … [Read more...]
Clean Energy Communities: NY’s New Program Helps Localities Lead the Way
August 8, 2016 By
New York has launched a new Clean Energy Communities program that offers technical guidance and funds to help localities become more sustainable. NRDC's Donna DeCostanzo offers details. New York’s counties, cities, towns and villages now have additional support when it comes to advancing clean energy and combating climate change at home. It … [Read more...]
Future Microgrids: How New York Can Drive the Electric Vehicle Market
July 15, 2016 By
Depictions of future microgrids often include fleets of electric vehicles. What will it take to bring about this future? NRDC's Luke Tonachel and Miles Farmer describe how New York, a microgrid leader, can become an EV leader as well. Through its much-discussed Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) effort to modernize our electric system for the … [Read more...]
Community Energy Storage Storage for Cleaner, Lower-Cost Electricity
April 25, 2016 By
More and more utilities, equipment manufacturers, and others are working to develop energy storage in households and businesses that can help make the electricity grid cleaner and cheaper. And many of these are eager to share their experiences and insights, as shown by the enthusiastic response to the “Community Storage Initiative,” which has … [Read more...]
New Study Concludes Getting 50% of NY's Electricity from Renewable Sources by 2030 is a Net Win
April 13, 2016 By
NRDC's Jackson Morris looks at the low cost and high value of procuring 50 percent of New York's electricity from renewable sources. In December, when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo directed the state's Public Service Commission (PSC) to create a Clean Energy Standard (CES) that ensures New York gets 50 percent of its electricity from renewable … [Read more...]
Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty for Energy Efficiency Now that the Clean Power Plan Has Been Delayed?
March 7, 2016 By
NRDC's Dylan Sullivan details why the 'glass' for energy efficiency is not only half full but may be overflowing, despite the recent court stay on the U.S. Clean Power Plan. Is energy efficiency's glass half-full or half-empty after the U.S. Supreme Court's recent stay of the Clean Power Plan (CPP), which limits power plant carbon dioxide … [Read more...]
California Sets World's Strongest Energy Efficiency Standards for Small Directional Light Bulbs
January 27, 2016 By
NRDC's Noah Horowitz explains new light bulb energy efficiency standards in California that are expected to cut the state's annual electricity bill by more than $400 million. The California Energy Commission (CEC) made history again today when it set minimum energy efficiency standards for small diameter directional light bulbs used for accent, … [Read more...]
Surprise (Or Not): Saving Energy Saves Energy
January 20, 2016 By
What do you say to those who claim that saving energy is a waste of time because of the rebound effect? NRDC's David Goldstein and Sierra Martinez explain research that shows saving energy does in fact save energy. Stanford and Berkeley researchers recently found that energy-saving devices, like more efficient electrical appliances and better … [Read more...]
Energy Efficiency Progress at America's Utilities: The Year in Review
December 16, 2015 By
America's utilities have more than doubled their investment in energy efficiency in just seven years. NRDC's Ralph Cavanagh offers details about their progress. America's utilities are now our nation's most important investors in smarter use of electricity and natural gas, helping all of us reduce both energy bills and pollution. NRDC's advocacy … [Read more...]
New York Energy Policy: It’s the State that Doesn’t Sleep at Night
December 11, 2015 By
New York energy policy is not for the faint of heart. Already upturning the century-old electricity industry with its Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), and pursuing the most vigorous community microgrid program in the nation, New York is setting another new bar, this one for renewable energy. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently directed the Public … [Read more...]
