This post is part of our blog series, “Energy Optimization: It’s Time to Reimagine Energy Efficiency.” No effort to clean up our emissions can succeed unless it is pursued equitably. That means every process is inclusive from the very beginning. It means frontline and environmental justice communities not only have a seat at the table, … Continued
As we’ve touched on so far in our series on Energy Optimization, electrifying our built environment requires innovation in policy frameworks, finance mechanisms, and customer inspiration. A critical component to our success, though, lies in the details—how we are measuring energy savings and energy usage in our buildings. This leads us to our fourth Energy … Continued
This month’s youth-led climate strikes—the protests and other events organized around the globe that collectively drew millions of marchers—represent a watershed moment: Leaders and policymakers are being pressured like never before to take meaningful action on climate change. Young people from around the world, joined by adult allies who have been working for decades to … Continued
Based in U.S. Energy Foundation’s Raleigh, N.C., office, Erika Fye administers grants and develops and deploys regional program strategies, while managing communications with current and prospective grantees in the Southeast. Before joining U.S. Energy Foundation, Erika interned with the City of Raleigh’s Department of Transportation, where she assisted the city in collecting data and analyzing … Continued
In today’s connected world, devices can tell us everything from how well we slept last night to who knocked on the door while we were out. Yet many consumers still have no insight into how much energy they’re using—or losing. While energy efficient buildings and equipment help our buildings perform better, so do the people … Continued
A new report looks at the many new and creative ways that states in the Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, plus New Jersey and Virginia, are integrating equity goals in their climate policy. Mariella Puerto, a co-director for Climate at the Boston-based Barr Foundation, shared her insights on the report in a blog post that … Continued
In our six-part series on energy optimization, we’re introducing five pivots in strategy that can shift the building sector into being an accelerator of climate action and a valuable grid asset. Traditional energy efficiency efforts designed to cut energy waste while increasing performance have done more than any other climate solution to preserve 2030 climate stabilization … Continued
2018 saw a 30 percent increase in farm bankruptcies across six Midwest states, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank in Minneapolis, as farmers face weather, climate, and geopolitical challenges that threaten their viability. Unfortunately, 2019 has been an even bigger disaster for Midwest farmers. Historic floods and persistent trade wars have added more straws to … Continued
Thanks to a decades-long fight to make our light bulbs more energy efficient, you have probably swapped out many of your home’s old Edison bulbs for better performing LEDs. Maybe you’ve even upgraded some of your energy-hogging appliances or put solar panels on your roof. But our homes and commercial buildings still have a long … Continued
For decades now, energy efficiency has been a stalwart tool for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and lowering utility bills. With appliance standards, utility programs, building codes, and other energy-saving measures, we’ve established a resource that now powers over a third of the U.S. economy. But we need to fundamentally transform our strategies to accelerate this … Continued