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Welcome to the Alliance to Save Energy's monthly newsletter e-FFICIENCY NEWS

Industry Leader Interview: Stephen Wright

Steve Wright was appointed Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration on Jan. 24, 2002. As Acting Administrator prior to his appointment, Wright successfully navigated some of the region's greatest energy challenges, including a West Coast energy crisis and a severe drought in the Northwest. He is a strong advocate for shoring up the region's aging energy infrastructure as well as a proponent of comprehensive energy-efficiency programs.

e-FFICIENCY NEWS: Would you start off by telling us a little about the unique history and function of the Bonneville Power Administration?

Wright: The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) was created by Congress in 1937, partly to electrify the rural Pacific Northwest. We are a not-for-profit federal power marketing agency under the Department of Energy. BPA markets wholesale power from 31 federal hydroelectric dams and one nonfederal nuclear plant. About 35 percent of the Northwest's electricity comes from BPA. BPA also owns and operates 75 percent of the region's high voltage transmission. Read the Full Interview

Energy Legislation Passes the Senate

Senators worked through the night to pass a broad energy-efficiency focused energy bill on June 21 that, among other things, would overhaul automobile efficiency standards for the first time since the Ford Administration. H.R. 6, the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007, would increase Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, standards from the current 25 miles per gallon for passenger cars, light trucks, and SUVs to 35 mpg by 2020. The Alliance worked closely with senators to ensure inclusion in the bill of key energy-efficiency provisions including appliance standards, permanent authorization of Energy Savings Performance Contracts and other measures to increase energy efficiency in federal buildings, oil-saving targets for federal and state vehicle fleets, and improved energy efficiency in commercial buildings.

Sci Fi Channel Launchs Energy-Efficiency Home Makeover Contest

The Alliance to Save Energy, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and NBC Universal's SCI FI Channel have partnered on an innovative energy-efficiency campaign offering everything from energy-efficiency tips and surprising "Eureka Moments" (intriguing energy facts), to a national contest for a home energy-efficiency makeover. Starting June 26, the campaign and contest are being promoted on air during Sci Fi's second season of Eureka as well as online. Other partners include the US Department of Energy, the American Gas Association, the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, the Consumer Electronics Association, Whirlpool, OSRAM Sylvania, The Dow Chemical Company, and CMC Energy Services.

Boosting U.S. Industrial Energy Efficiency

This month, the Department of Energy (DOE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in an effort to maximize energy efficiency at industrial facilities. Under the agreement, DOE and NAM will assist manufacturing facilities in implementing energy management programs; adopting clean, efficient technologies; and achieving energy-efficiency improvements. This effort continues the success of the 2006 Save Energy Now campaign, which identified nearly $500 million in energy savings at 200 of the nation's most energy-intensive manufacturing facilities. NAM represents 11,000 large and small manufacturers in every industrial sector, comprising over 200,000 facilities throughout the United States.

States Ranked on Energy Efficiency

According to a new report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), states now spend almost three times as much on energy-efficiency programs as the federal government. The recently released State Energy Efficiency Scorecard is a new and expanded effort to rank states on policy initiatives, including appliance and equipment standards, building energy codes, transportation and land use policies. Vermont, Connecticut, and California all tied for first place in combined energy programs promoting efficiency, with Massachusetts and Oregon rounding out the top five.

California Green Campuses Win Energy Efficiency Awards

Winners of the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) Higher Education Energy Efficiency Partnership Best Practices in Sustainable Operations competition were announced this month. Congratulations to the Green Campus Programs at UC Irvine and Humboldt State, who received the awards for the category of Student Energy Conservation Programs. Awards were presented during the UC/CSU Sustainability Conference, held June 24 - 26 at UC Santa Barbara. More ...

New Report Highlights the Power of Powering Down

A new report on personal computer usage and power consumption released this month suggests US business could be saving billions of dollars simply by shutting down machines at night. The survey, commissioned jointly by the Alliance to Save Energy and power management software company, 1E, found that nearly half of all corporate computers (roughly 31 million PCs) are not regularly switched off at night. According to the study, this lack of inactivity is costing US businesses $1.72 billion annually and adding over 14 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere per year.

EE, etc…

Upcoming Events

Save the date for the 30th World Energy Engineering Congress . This one-of-a-kind, 3-day event will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, August 15-17.

Mark your calendars for the German-American Dialogue on Renewable Energy (GADORE) Green Building Summer Tour scheduled September 9-13 in Hamburg, Germany. This conference and workshop will explore the latest research, innovations, and practices in energy-efficient building in North America and Europe.

Around the Alliance

The Alliance would like to welcome Ben Taube as the new Executive Director of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA). Mr. Taube has deep ties to the Southeast region, serving most recently as the Public Affairs Manager for the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, before that as Director of Government Affairs for EcoSMART Technologies, and the Environmental Manager for the City of Atlanta.

We would like to congratulate Adam Hudson, Alliance Program Manager for Internet, E-mail Communications, for receipt of June's employee of the month award. In addition to his unflagging dedication and commitment to excellence, Hudson, for the second year in a row, successfully organized unprecedented participation in the annual Bike to Work Day. Leading by example by encouraging the most energy-efficient mode of transportation to commute to the office, the Alliance to Save Energy is also making a financial contribution to the Washington Area Bike Association (WABA), the organizer of Bike to Work Day.

Online registration for the Energy Efficiency Global Forum and Exposition (EE Global) opens July 1, 2007. The Forum and Expo will feature information on how energy efficiency can have a positive impact on every end-use sector, including transportation, the built environment, electricity generation, and more. Booth sales are going fast and over 65% of the floor has already been sold! Don't miss your opportunity to exhibit with some of the premier leaders from the public and private sectors.

The Alliance to Save Energy is pleased to announce the 2007 Stars of Energy Efficiency award winners! This year's recipients are true leaders in their respective fields and the Alliance is pleased to be able to highlight their exceptional achievements in energy efficiency. The 2007 honorees include: Jones Lang LaSalle (Chairman's Award), The Home Depot (Galaxy Star Award), Orion Energy Systems (Super Nova Star Award), the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (Andromeda Star Award), and the International Energy Agency (International Star Award). For more information on the Dinner, including sponsorship, please visit www.ase.org/dinner .

e-FFICIENCY NEWS: June 2007

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