Efficiency First

In his State of the Union Address on Wednesday, President Obama singled out clean energy as a crucial path to economic growth, and called on Congress and the American people to “make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America.” In reference to job creation in particular, the President said:
Tomorrow, I’ll visit Tampa, Florida, where [...]

Portland pilot program tests on-bill payoff for energy efficiency improvement financing
Green For All, a national nonprofit focused on promoting green job opportunities for members of disadvantaged communities, has produced an inspiring short video about its partnership with a new retrofit financing program in Portland, Oregon. Prominently featured in the video is Home Performance contractor Bernice Lopez-Dorsey [...]

This week Efficiency First received an email from an Illinois homeowner named Tom who’s trying very hard to do the right thing in terms of energy efficiency upgrades. Here’s what he had to say about the proposed HOME STAR incentive program:
I live in Central Illinois and I think this program (HOME STAR-Cash for Caulkers) is [...]

‘Energy efficiency to shine in 2010’ reports the San Jose Mercury News
A pair of articles in yesterday’s edition of the San Jose Mercury News shed light on the growing national interest in energy efficiency and on the proposed HOME STAR retrofit incentive program. “Solar and wind power may get the headlines and attention,” the [...]

Some groups critical of two-tier rating system set to take effect in 2011
CALGREEN, the new California green building code approved last week by the California Building Standards Commission, has been criticized by some environmentalists and industry groups despite powerful provisions that will significantly reduce building energy and water use and regulate construction-related pollution sources.
The code [...]

Department of Labor exempts State Energy Program incentives from Davis-Brown Act wage rules
The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a notice regarding State Energy Program implementation of the prevailing wage requirements stipulated in the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA), a Depression-era law that sets wage guidelines for federal government construction contracts. According to the ruling dated [...]

Former St. Elsewhere star emphasizes the importance of ‘low-hanging fruit’ in home energy conservation
Celebrated actor and environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. has been translating his green lifestyle into family entertainment with the revival of Living With Ed, a reality series now showing on the Planet Green television network. The show touches on a wide range of [...]

Longtime efficiency advocate Steve Cowell lends considerable expertise to the proposed HOME STAR program
Efficiency First member Steve Cowell was the subject of a profile published last week in the Boston Globe highlighting his central role in the development of the proposed HOME STAR energy retrofit program. The online version of the article also includes a [...]