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June 2007
Newsletter Contents:
Guest Highlight
Alliance Intern Erin O’Sullivan looks at how the Energy Hog campaign is motivating the next generation of Americans to save energy.
Alliance to Save Energy Column
The Alliance profiles the Sustainable Energy Resource Network (SERN), which promotes the development of sustainable energy regulatory frameworks.
State Updates
Legislative updates from California, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
Student Saves Family $5,700 on Energy Bill
By Erin O’Sullivan, Alliance Intern
Sixth-grader Sandra Walton of Ohio saved her family $5,700, and that’s just this year. She was inspired by one of the Alliance to Save Energy’s public service announcements to make her home more energy efficient. With some help from her parents, Sandra changed 85 incandescent light bulbs to ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent (CFLs) bulbs. These lights are 70 percent more energy efficient than their traditional counterparts and last up to 10 times longer. The Alliance to Save Energy estimates that the Waltons will save about $5,700 in energy costs over the life of the new CFLs .
“Sandra has set an example that everyone should follow starting today," said Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan. "If every home in America switched just one incandescent bulb to a CFL, we would save enough energy to light seven million homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking one million cars off the road for a year."
Sandra is proof of the power of educating the next generation. The Alliance’s “Energy Hog” Campaign taps into that power by enlightening children about the “how”s and “why”s of energy conservation to make America more sustainable. The primary tool of the campaign is its Energy Hog “spokesvillain.” The Energy Hog personifies wasteful behavior, like keeping lights on or leaving a home un-insulated. To take this message to children, the Energy Hog visits schools to teach kids about energy conservation through a fun, prize-filled presentation. In his wake, the Hog leaves student and teacher guides, comprehensive energy curricula, follow-through help, and inspired children.
To congratulate Sandra on her accomplishment, the Ohio Department of Development's Office of Energy Efficiency presented her with a plaque during a ceremony at Shawnee Middle School and brought the Alliance to Save Energy’s "Energy Hog" to meet Sandra and her classmates.
Want to know more? Visit www.energyhog.org where kids and parents can play games to battle the Hog and learn about saving energy.
For additional questions about the Energy Hog campaign, please contact Maria Ellingson at (303) 333-4570 or Erin O’Sullivan at (202) 530-4347.
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The Sustainable Energy Regulation Network Provides Resources for Sustainable Energy Policies Around the World
By Sean Garcia
REEEP
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) promotes policies and financing mechanisms that support renewable energy and energy efficiency. REEEP is supported by funding from the governments of Austria, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States and the European Commission.
SERN
The Sustainable Energy Regulation Network has been set up by REEEP for those involved in energy regulation (regulatory agencies or government departments) and other stakeholders with an interest in energy regulation. The network is coordinated by Gill Owen (Project Director) and Xavier Lemaire (Coordinator) at the Centre for Management under Regulation at Warwick University in the UK.
SERN promotes and accelerates the development of regulatory frameworks and mechanisms that incentivise sustainable energy, particularly localised and distributed energy sources (renewable energy, CHP/co-generation), demand management response and energy efficiency. SERN activities include:
- Facilitating experience and knowledge exchange between regulators and government officials;
- Producing good practice guides for regulators and policy makers; and,
- Conducting training courses, seminars and meetings for regulators, government officials and parliamentarians on regulating for sustainable energy.
Key SERN resources include: the review of sustainable energy policies and regulations worldwide; a directory of experts; and a variety of information in the form of case studies and a quarterly newsletter.
How You Can Help
We are always seeking to expand our database of policies and regulatory frameworks. Therefore, we would welcome information from individual states in the US, many of which have some excellent initiatives, such as public benefits funds, energy efficiency resource standards (EERS), white certificates, renewables portfolio standards (RPS), etc.
Join SERN
The SERN network currently (May 2007) consists of 200 members from regulatory agencies, government departments, academics, and developers from around the world in both developed and developing countries. We would be pleased to welcome new members from the US. To join SERN you first need to join REEEP. Information on how to do this is available by clicking on “register to join REEEP” on the REEEP home page. Once you have joined REEEP you can then join SERN and other REEEP groups and forums. www.reeep.org
For more information, please contact Dr Xavier Lemaire, SERN Coordinator, at xavier.lemaire@reeep.org.
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California
Assembly Bill 887
Introduced 2/22/2007, referred to Utilities and Commerce Committee 3/8/2007, amended by UCC 4/24/2007, passed by UCC 5/8/2007, passed by House and referred to Senate 5/21/2007. AB 887 would require the state Public Utilities Commission to set residential utility rates consistent with policies of affordability and conservation.
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Connecticut
Senate Bill 1119
Introduced 2/8/2007and referred to Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue, and Bonding, referred to Legislative Commissioner’s Office 4/18/2007, reported favorably out of LCO 5/3/2007, moved to foot of Senate Calendar 5/9/2007. SB 1119 would authorize state bonds for capital projects, including support for energy-efficiency and conservation programs.
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Delaware
Senate Bill 18
Introduced 4/26/2007 and referred to Energy and Transit Committee, substituted with SS 1 and passed by Senate 5/10/2007, referred to House Energy and Natural Resources Committee 5/15/2007. SB 18 would create a nonprofit entity under contract to the Delaware Energy Office to develop and coordinate programs for energy end-users in Delaware for the purpose of promoting the sustainable use of energy in the State.
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Louisiana
House Bill 933
Introduced 5/9/2007, referred to Ways and Means Committee 5/10/2007. HB 933 would offer an income tax credit for energy efficiency and solar energy improvements to certain residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
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North Carolina
Senate Bill 1178
Introduced 3/20/2007, referred to Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship Committee 3/22/2007, substitute adopted 5/7/2007, passed by Senate 5/8/2007, referred to House Commerce, Small Business, and Entrepreneurship Committee 5/10/2007. SB 1178 would prohibit the use of master meters in residences built after Sept. 1, 1977, in order to promote individual responsibility for energy conservation.
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Nevada
Senate Bill 567
Introduced and passed by Senate 5/2/2007, passed by House 5/3/2007, vetoed by Governor 5/14/2007, veto sustained in Senate 6/4/2007. SB 567 would suspend all state action related to tax exemptions for energy-efficient buildings and materials.
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New York
Assembly Bill 7944
Introduced 4/30/2007 and referred to Environmental Conservation Committee. AB 7944 would prohibit the sale of incandescent light bulbs in the state after June 1, 2012.
Assembly Bill 8111
Introduced 5/4/2007 and referred to Energy Committee, amended 5/25/2007. AB 8111 would provide residential electric customers with an option for greater control of the cost of such service by the installation of real time smart meters.
Assembly Bill 8113
Introduced 5/4/2007 and referred to Energy Committee. AB 8113 would require all persons entering into energy performance contracts to conduct a study of the cost and feasibility of at least one renewable energy source, as well as provide assistance to workers displaced due to decommissioning of electric power plants in the state.
Assembly Bill 8151
Introduced 5/7/2007 and referred to Environmental Conservation Committee. AB 8151 would establish green building standards for certain capital projects and civic projects.
Senate Bill 4969
Introduced 4/24/2007 and referred to Energy and Telecommunications Committee, amended 5/24/2007. SB 4969 would provide residential consumers with an option for greater control of the cost of electricity by the installation of real time smart meters.
Senate Bill 5242
Introduced 4/25/2007 and referred to Civil Service and Pensions Committee. SB 5242 would create a state sustainable private equity investment program and a sustainable private equity investment board.
Senate Bill 5347
Introduced 4/25/2007 and referred to Environmental Conservation Committee. SB 5347 would enact the climate change solutions program act, which relates to greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs and energy-efficiency programs, and would establish powers and duties of the commissioner of environmental conservation with respect to the climate change solutions program.
Senate Bill 5371
Introduced 4/25/2007 and referred to Environmental Conservation Committee. SB 5371 would create a climate change solutions fund to collect revenues from the sale of emissions allowances.
Senate Bill 5427
Introduced 4/25/2007 and referred to Environmental Conservation Committee, reported out of committee and referred to Rules Committee 5/30/2007. SB 5427 would create the New York state climate change task force; establish the membership of the task force and establish the powers and duties of the task force.
Senate Bill 5442
Introduced 4/24/2007 and referred to Energy and Telecommunications Committee, reported out of committee and referred to Finance Committee 5/29/2007. SB 5442 would require new or substantially reconstructed agency buildings to comply with the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver rating and guidelines.
Senate Bill 5643
Introduced 4/25/2007 and referred to Veterans’ Affairs and Homeland Security Committee. SB 5643 would establish a New York State Green Building and Alternative Indoor Energy Program.
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Tennessee
House Joint Resolution 472
Introduced 5/2/2007, referred to Conservation and Environment Committee 5/3/2007, recommended for adoption by committee 5/16/2007, adopted by House 5/29/2007, referred to Senate Environment, Conservation, and Tourism Committee 5/31/2007, recommended for adoption by committee 6/4/2007. HJR 472 would urge the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority to pursue energy-efficiency efforts.
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Wisconsin
Senate Bill 179
Introduced 5/9/2007 and referred to Commerce, Utilities, and Rail Committee, passage recommended by committee 6/1/2007. SB 179 would restrict the Public Service Commission’s ability to include an energy utility’s revenue from a large energy customer for the purposes to determining the utility’s compliance with spending requirements for energy efficiency and renewable resource programs.
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