Setting the Record Straight on Efficiency Programs and Other News

While Congress debates how to solve the country's budget woes, Alliance President Kateri Callahan set the record straight on two important efficiency programs — weatherization and ENERGY STAR — caught in a tug-of-war over budget deficits in her letter to Politico’s editor. 

• Floyd DesChamps, the Alliance’s Senior Vice President of Policy and Research, has been named a new member of the American Geophysical Union’s board of directors, reflecting the organization’s commitment to applying scientific research results to global challenges. Congratulations, Floyd! [American Geophysical Union]
• Consumers haven’t been as enticed by water heaters as other stimulus-funded appliances, a USA TODAY analysis found. Although they are often the second-largest energy hogs in homes, water heaters aren’t shoppers’ lists until their current ones break.
• Are you decorating this holiday season? Good news: your lights and decorations aren’t costing as much as they did in previous years. [Market Watch] Sounds like Indianapolis noticed — the city’s Circle of Lights event is hoping to replace 4,800 incandescent lights with energy-efficient LED bulbs by the event’s 50th anniversary in two years. [The Indianapolis Star]
• Making energy-efficient improvements is tough when you’re a renter. Luckily, there are still steps you can take to ensure you save energy in your home, whether you own or not. [Grist]