Environmental Council of the States: Energy Efficiency

This subcommittee is no longer active, but merged with the climate change work group in September 2007 to form the new Climate & Energy Subcommittee.

The ECOS/DOE Energy Efficiency Subcommittee was formed in August, 2002 to foster a working relationship between the Department of Energy (DOE) and ECOS to further the goals of energy reliability with environmental protection. The Subcommittee is co-chaired by a state representative and a DOE representative. Currently, fourteen state environmental commissioners are members of the Subcommittee.

The Subcommittee meets during one of the regularly scheduled committee times at each ECOS meeting. The Subcommittee also holds about 2 to 3 conference calls during the year to discuss issues of interest to the members. In addition, for energy/environment issues that members identify as important work for the Subcommittee, workgroups are often formed to address these issues. States are asked to volunteer to be part of these workgroups and to have appropriate staff from their state participate in the workgroup activities (usually conference calls, providing written information, etc.).

The Subcommittee members identified a number of issues of interest which include:

The use of Biomass for energy generation and transportation needs
The use of public benefit funds to support energy efficiency and renewable energy
Developing ozone State Implementation Plans (SIP) credits for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and policies

To date, some of the accomplishments and products of the Subcommittee include:

“The Potential Effects of Ethanol Blends and Biodiesel Fuels on Ambient Air Quality.” This report examines the potential environmental impacts of ethanol in fuel and biodiesel as a fuel. The work on this report was funded by a contract from the Department of Energy, with work direction provided by the Subcommittee. (INSERT LINK TO REPORT).
A survey of state commissioners on the issues and obstacles they encounter related to the use of biofuels/biomass.
Provided information briefings for the members on the Texas Energy Partnership (SB5) and the efforts by the state of Texas to get ozone SIP credits for energy efficiency activities. For more information (INSERT LINKS TO SB5 & TX CEQ PAGE) http://www.texasenergypartnership.org/)

If you would like further information about the Subcommittee, or to list your state as a member, please contact : Emily Lande (ECOS staff to the EE Subcommittee) at 202-624-3677 or via email at elande@sso.org

Link To Critical Energy and Air Document With Graphs

Link to DOE EE/RE and Air Quality Integration Effort

List of Great Web sites

US DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (www.eere.energy.gov)

Covering renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency for buildings, industry, power and transportation, this site also presents resources specifically for consumers. Information from building codes to case studies is available.

Smart Communities Network (www.sustainable.doe.gov)

Topical resources on energy efficiency and renewable energy in a community context, as applied to buildings, transportation, community energy systems, business and more.

Home Energy Saver (http://homeenergysaver.lbl.gov/)

A user-friendly, interactive site that helps homeowners identify energy efficiency measures appropriate for their own homes.

· EPA’s Green Power site (http://www.epa.gov/oaintrnt/energy/greenpwr.htm) Contains a wide variety of useful case studies and reports on how green power initiatives and EERE technologies have been successfully implemented in varying states and communities.

§ National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) (http://www.nrel.gov)

In addition to its research reports and news, NREL offers a key source of information for application of renewable energy technologies at residential and commercial scales.

ENERGY STAR (www.energystar.gov)

Offers lists of ENERGY STAR certified products for business and construction, as well as information on ENERGY STAR programs for new homes and home improvement. Partner companies and their products can be identified using the site.

§ Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) (www.dsireusa.org)

Site is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy.

§ PATH (Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing )(www.pathnet.org)

PATHnet offers news on improved housing technologies, research reports on specific technologies, case studies of applications, and links to resources including the Energy Efficient Rehab Advisor.

§ International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (http://www.iclei.org/)
ICLEI works with communities to make and implement commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This site has an excellent search engine with plenty of energy efficiency and renewable energy subjects and publications. A broader look at the topics than some other sites.

American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (http://aceee.org)

The site offers a useful section of “Consumer Resources” that provide information on improving home energy efficiency, choosing efficient appliances, and identifying fuel efficient vehicles.

Alliance to Save Energy (www.ase.org)

Information for consumers and educators on ways to save energy, including media campaigns for energy savings and an online Home Energy Checkup tool.

§ The Affordable Comfort Incorporated site (http://www.affordablecomfort.org/html/mission.html) holds good, practical information on how energy efficiency can best be incorporated into buildings, construction and remodeling through a systems approach.

Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org)

A web section on Home Resource Efficiency offers homeowners information on resource-efficient construction, efficient appliances, lighting, heating and cooling, as well as related information on renewable energy, water conservation and recycling.

SolarAccess.com (www.solaraccess.com)

Promoted as “Renewable Energy News, Information and Marketplace,” this site provides current renewable energy news coverage nationwide, as well as listings of coming events and training opportunities.

§ Cool Companies (www.cool-companies.org)

Produced by the nonprofit Center for Energy & Climate Solutions, this site focuses on strategies and technologies that save energy, cut costs and reduce pollution, as being adopted by American companies across many sectors.

§ Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (www.ceere.org)

CEERE at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, provides technological and economic solutions to environmental problems resulting from energy production, industrial, manufacturing, and commercial activities, and land use practices.

§ Energy Ideas Clearinghouse (www.energyideas.org)

Energy efficiency resources for industry, business and government in the Pacific Northwest, addressing motors, appliances, lighting, heating and cooling for agricultural, commercial, industrial and residential users.

§ Sustainable Minnesota (www.me3.org)

Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy sponsors this site featuring information on energy issues, renewable energy and green power.

§ Southface Energy Institute (www.southface.org)

Southface promotes sustainable homes, workplaces and communities through education, research, advocacy and technical assistance. Their website offers event listings and a range of online publications regarding energy-efficient construction.

§ Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) (www.nesea.org)

The NESEA website contains information on diverse programs on clean energy, green buildings, and sustainable transportation.

§ North Carolina Solar Center (www.ncsc.ncsu.edu)

A resource for information related to renewable energy and building energy efficiency, as well as transportation. Includes publications, database resources, and links to other sites.

§ Florida Solar Energy Center (www.fsec.ucf.edu)

A site rich with technical reports on renewable energy and energy efficiency research, FSEC also offers some information useful to consumers.

§ Sacramento Municipal Utility District (http://www.smud.org/)
Website of one of the real leaders in working with customers to reduce the demand for electricity through energy efficiency and application of renewable energy. Contains good links and EERE information.

§ Texas Energy Partnership (http://www.texasenergypartnership.org/)

Created as a result of SB5, a model law on the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy to help reduce air emissions, this site includes details to help municipalities reduce electricity consumption by 5 percent a year for 5 years, beginning January 1, 2002.

§ Air Pollution Prevention Forum (http://www.wrapair.org/forums/ap2/projects/energy_efficiency/)

This site contains the forum’s report to the Western Regional Air Partnership on policies and programs states can adopt to reduce air emissions – in this case, to comply with EPA’s regional haze rule.

§ State Energy Alternatives (http://www.eere.energy.gov/state_energy/ )

This site was developed in collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The site provides State and Local officials with information about their renewable energy and energy efficiency options.