energy efficiency

New codes are a mixed bag of good and bad:

The North Carolina Building Code Council decided Tuesday to order the increase in home energy efficiency and to consider changes to building standards that could cut building costs by 15 percent. Commercial buildings would be required to meet a 30 percent improvement in energy efficiency.

But it seems unlikely that entire package of savings will be approved. The proposals include easing requirements on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and rules on home foundations, which some council members said would risk safety.

Some council members? If they don't see the safety risk of easing those requirements, they shouldn't be sitting on the Council in the first place.

Another cool million for energy efficency:

State energy officials said today they have scrounged up another $1 million for rebates to residents who buy energy-efficient appliances.

Nearly $600,000 of the pot is open to new applicants and about $400,000 will go to people who've made previous purchases and are on a rebate waiting list.

The newly-found money comes from a small percentage of federal stimulus funds this state received but did not use for a variety of reasons, said Seth Effron, spokesman for the State Energy Office.

Hat-tip to Mark Binker over at Capital Beat:

New regulations that would have required houses built in North Carolina to be 30 percent more energy efficient than current models have been delayed following a vote by the state’s Building Code Council earlier this month.

The principal objections to the new regulations came from homebuilders, particularly the N.C. Home Builders Association, which said increased costs associated with the energy-efficiency measures would make houses harder to sell in the sluggish economy. Advocates for the new rules said any increase in mortgage costs would be offset by lower energy bills.

This is the same kind of crap that's happening on the national level with FHFA's opposition to PACE.

It seemed like every major environmental meeting was held yesterday. One that might not have gotten a lot of attention was the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE.) The group released a report, finding that North Carolina can create 38,000 jobs and save $3.6 billion in energy costs if a broad set of electricity, water, and transportation efficiency policies are implemented.

The report outlines a number of different policies that could increase the efficiency of our energy consumption, the major being to establish an Energy Efficiency Resource Standard(EERS.) Much like the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard passed in Senate bill 3, an EERS would set long term energy efficiency goals for investor based utilities. The easiest way to achieve these goals would be through energy friendly residential and commercial building codes.

Because of the Vice-President's visit to Durham tomorrow morning, the ACEEE report relase at Southern Energy Management has been moved to 1pm.

Here's the scoop on a report that's being released this Thursday about how NC can create jobs and become more energy efficient. The report is by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Lieutenant Governor is speaking.

ACEEE To Release North Carolina Report of Efficiency Recommendations

Analysis shows NC can create thousands of net new jobs by 2025
Lt. Governor Dalton and other elected officials and business leaders to attend

North Carolina is uniquely poised to invest in energy efficiency to enhance the state's energy security and spur economic growth. The ACEEE analysis shows that the state can create thousands of net new jobs by 2025 by making commitments to energy efficiency in the state's buildings, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. The assessment will offer detailed recommendations on electricity, water, and transportation efficiencies.

An article in today's Smoky Mountain News brings to the fore again the issue of efficient passenger rail service to Asheville, connected to the existing AMTRAK service at Salisbury.

On Wednesday, many expected House Bill 1050, to create NC SAVE$ ENERGY, to pass quickly out of the Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee. Ultimately, we were fortunate that the bill did NOT come to a vote as the hearing did not go as anticipated.

Representative Pricey Harrison opened the committee hearing with a solid introduction of the bill’s goals, but Committee Chair Angela Bryant offered to just have a discussion about the bill with no vote “to take the pressure off.”

Earlier in the day, teams of lobbyists from the utility corporations were spotted all over the state legislature. It is obvious that House Bill 1050 has got the utilities’ attention, and in the last days, they have made it known that they do not want an organization other than themselves running energy efficiency in North Carolina.

House Bill 1050, the NC SAVE$ ENERGY bill, is going to be introduced into the Energy and Energy Efficiency Committee this Wednesday. The bill, which plans on creating an independent energy efficiency program in North Carolina, will create thousands of green jobs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and keep all of our energy rates down in the coming years.

As tired as we all may be about listening to environmental organizations preach about the need to reform our outlook toward global climate change, their message has still not fully been heard. The problems that climate change has placed on this world are very real, and are becoming more and more apparent everyday. Yet still, most Americans are content either giving in to apathy or ignoring these important issues all together.