 |
|
 |
|
|
|
What's New From ASERTTI2008 Presidential Candidate Energy PlansWith global climate change and U.S. dependence on foreign oil on the forefront of current issues affecting our nation and the upcoming election, the energy plans presented by both the democratic and republican candidates present thoughtful approaches to resolving our current dependence on fossil fuels. John McCain, through his Lexington Project, proposes that he will lead America to strategic energy independence through the implementation of his comprehensive and integrated energy strategy, including:
Barrack Obama proposes that his comprehensive plan to combat global warming and achieve energy security will:
The above are just some elements of the proposed energy plans, to view John McCain’s full plan please click here; to view Barrack Obama’s full plan please click here. New LEED Study ReleasedA new study is available for free download, Energy Performance of LEED for New Construction Buildings, prepared by the New Buildings Institute with funding from the USGBC and the EPA. 121 LEED Certified Buildings were studied and showed a substantial improvement of performance compared to traditional buildings. To read the study, please click here. Western Climate Initiative Proposes Regional Cap-and-Trade PlanThe Western Climate Initiative (WCI), which includes seven States and four Canadian provinces, released a draft on how it plans to implement a regional cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions. The draft plan would begin monitoring emissions in 2010, capping industrial emissions in 2012, and would add other emissions in 2015. Unlike the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in the Northeastern US that regulates only electric utilities, the WCI would regulate greenhouse gasses from several sources. Under the current plan, individual states would decide whether to hand out or auction off credits and polluters could write off up to 10% of their emissions by investing in offsets such as planting trees. Bill to Encourage Energy Efficient MortgagesAs reported in EERE Network News, President Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 into law on July 30, and while the act is focused primarily on addressing the mortgage crisis in the United States, it also includes measures to encourage the greater use of energy efficient mortgages (EEMs). Such mortgages allow people to purchase or refinance their principal residence and incorporate the cost of energy efficiency improvements into the mortgage. But while the idea is laudable, the implementation of it is difficult, as the borrower must first receive a home energy rating report, usually from an energy consultant, and the report must demonstrate that the energy efficiency improvements are cost effective. After the loan closes, the money for the improvements is placed in an escrow account and is not released until an inspector verifies that the improvements are installed and will achieve the desired energy savings. Due to both the complicated nature of EEMs and a lack of awareness of them, the Federal Housing Authority has typically issued only about 30,000 EEMs per year. To address that issue, Section 2902 of the new act requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop recommendations to eliminate the barriers to the use of EEMs, including the lack of reliable and accessible information on such mortgages, the confusion regarding underwriting requirements, the complex and time-consuming process of securing such mortgages, the lack of publicly available research on the default risk of such mortgages, and the limited availability of certified or accredited home energy rating services. HUD must report its recommendations to Congress within the next six months. The act also calls for HUD to carry out an education and outreach campaign for consumers, home builders, residential lenders, and other real estate professionals on EEMs and on the benefits of energy efficiency in housing. In addition, Section 2123 of the act increases the limits for cost-effective energy efficiency improvements. For most homebuyers, the cost of improvements can now be nearly 5% of the property value, while it was previously limited to $8,000. But the act also limits the number of energy efficient mortgages to 5% of the number of mortgages for 1- to 4-family residences insured by HUD during the preceding fiscal year. ASERTTI Fall Meeting - Chicago, IllinoisPlans are underway for ASERTTI's 2008 Fall Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. This year's meeting is being hosted by the Gas Technology Institute, and Co-Hosted by the Energy Center of Wisconsin, and University of Illinois at Chicago – Energy Resources Center. The meeting will begin on Monday, October 13th and conclude on Thursday, October 16th. Highlights of sessions include:
Registration for the meeting is now open. For more information, please contact Sherry Benzmiller at SBenzmiller@ecw.org. ACEEE Introduces a New State Energy Efficiency Policy ResourceThe American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) unveiled a new Web resource for state policymakers and energy efficiency advocates on August 12. This site is the initial phase of ACEEE's new State Energy Efficiency Policy, an ongoing project under the umbrella of ACEEE's State Energy Efficiency Policy Activities. The site serves as an easy-to-use online database of energy efficiency policies in the states, searchable by state or by policy. The database covers:
The site currently covers information for most of the leading states. Ultimately the site will cover policies for all states and will be expanded to also cover state climate policies and smart growth initiatives. The complete version of the Web site will roll out in conjunction with the release of ACEEE's State Energy Efficiency Scorecard for 2007/2008 in the beginning of October. ACEEE anticipates updating information on the site on a quarterly basis as new policies emerge. Additional News Stories
For past news stories visit our News Archive. |