EC January 2013

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] New Report: Next Generation Energy Efficiency Programs Can Yield High Energy Savings
by Paul Wilson 09 Jan '13

09 Jan '13

fyi, paul ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jennifer Miller <jen.miller(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Wed, Jan 9, 2013 at 11:03 AM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] New Report: Next Generation Energy Efficiency Programs Can Yield High Energy Savings To: #Coal <coal-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Coal-Volunteers < coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Chapter-Groups < chapter-groups-list(a)sierraclub.org>, #Staff-Chapter < Staff-chapter-list(a)sierraclub.org> Efficiency Warriors - ACEEE has a new report out in which they review the best practices for utility efficiency programs. See below. Also, stay tuned, because I will be hosting ACEEE to discuss this report for Sierra Club staff and volunteers on Feb 7 (time still TBA). Thanks jen ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: ACEEE News <aceeenews(a)aceee.org> Date: Wed, Jan 9, 2013 at 10:19 AM Subject: New Report: Next Generation Energy Efficiency Programs Can Yield High Energy Savings To: jen.miller(a)sierraclub.org [image: logo] NEWS RELEASE Media Contact: Patrick Kiker 202.507.4043 pkiker(a)aceee.org New Report Reveals How Next Generation Energy Efficiency Programs Can Help Utilities Achieve High Energy Savings Washington, D.C. (January 9, 2013): New technologies and innovative program designs are combining to create the next generation of energy efficiency programs that can meet the aggressive saving targets being set by many states, finds a new report. Frontiers of Energy Efficiency: Next Generation Programs Reach for High Energy Savings<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001B0-bBJgFk3sV5vSMr-ROdifJU5S5hZ0HTTC4Z5BGNNce…>, released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE),finds that these technologies and programs can offer the potential to achieve and sustain high savings-27% of forecasted electricity use and 19% of forecasted natural gas use by 2030. "Natural gas isn't the only abundant energy resource in this country---we've also discovered deep reservoirs of energy efficiency. As our report shows, energy efficiency opportunities are abundant. Even as tried and true energy efficiency measures become commonplace, we continue to dig deeper and find new technologies and practices plus new program approaches to unlock further opportunities to achieve large energy savings," said Dan York, ACEEE utilities program director, and lead-author of the report. Energy efficiency programs for utility customers have been in place for over three decades in many areas in the United States. These programs have experienced unprecedented growth over the past decade, in significant part because of policies that establish high, specific energy savings targets to be achieved through energy efficiency programs. Over the next two decades, achieving and sustaining high savings levels present challenges for energy efficiency programs. Increasingly stringent building codes and energy efficiency standards for appliances and other technologies are moving baseline energy efficiency performance higher. Achieving high participation rates has been difficult for certain types of programs. The technologies and programs profiled in this report offer an answer to these concerns. "This report will be a valuable resource for those looking to help utility customers save money by using less energy. With a wealth of information on the leading edge of program designs and energy efficiency technologies, this report shows that program designers have an increasing number of options to achieve greater energy efficiency," said Maggie Molina, ACEEE state policy senior manager and report co-author. While savings opportunities exist for all types of customers, the report finds some of the greatest potential exists for renovations and retrofits of homes and commercial buildings. Lighting also remains a large source of energy savings along with building mechanical systems and a variety of electronics. Reaching more customers is another direction for next generation programs. Improved understanding of more narrowly defined customer segments through better data analytics can enable program administrators to structure and focus incentives and marketing to increase participation. Programs are successfully serving customers in markets that historically have been difficult to reach, such as multifamily housing and manufactured homes. Another clear trend across program portfolios is an emphasis on better understanding customer behavior and motivations in order to design programs that engage greater numbers of customers to take actions that save energy. The report examines a total of 22 different program types and concepts, from residential lighting to commercial buildings to industrial processes, and examines a wide range of energy efficiency technologies, including light-emitting diode (LED) lighting; high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment; and combined heat and power (CHP) systems. The research draws upon extensive interviews completed with a large number of experts on customer energy efficiency programs and technologies and includes numerous examples of where these leading principles and practices are being used or tested. To read the report, visit: http://aceee.org/research-report/u131<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001B0-bBJgFk3sV5vSMr-ROdifJU5S5hZ0HTTC4Z5BGNNce…> . About ACEEE: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, visit aceee.org<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001B0-bBJgFk3tsYR4Dng-SQtpD695k_4CRraE72qiMAKTV…> . ### Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=4rt7cun6&m=1011065179711&ea=j…> <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdE0e-…> This email was sent to jen.miller(a)sierraclub.org by aceeenews(a)aceee.org | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdE0e-…> | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001QKZ15G27mHOwq-0UltPLdE0e-…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. ACEEE | 529 14th Street., N.W. | Suite 600 | Washington | DC | 20045 -- Jen Miller (614)563-9543 Senior Campaign Representative for Energy Efficiency Sierra Club National Beyond Coal Campaign pst....My work is now national in scope, but I'm still based in Columbus, Ohio (the Eastern Time Zone)! -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. -- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361 "There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle

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WVU Extension meetings on Utica gas Jan 29-30.
by James Kotcon 08 Jan '13

08 Jan '13

FYI. JBK http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2013/01/07/utica-shale-development-topic-of-wvu-e… Utica Shale development topic of WVU Extension Service educational program series ( http://wvutoday.wvu.edu/n/2013/01/07/utica-shale-development-topic-of-wvu-e… )January 7th, 2013 Through a series of educational programs, West Virginia University ( http://www.wvu.edu/ ) Extension Service ( http://ext.wvu.edu/ ) hopes to help educate community members on development and leasing issues related to Utica shale and its impact on the state. The Utica shale is a large natural gas field that lies below Marcellus shale rock, underneath much of the northeastern U.S. and adjacent parts of Canada. The educational programs will take place in Parkersburg at the Parkersburg City Building on Jan. 29, and in New Martinsville at the Wetzel County 4-H Camp’s Mollohan Center on Jan. 30. Both programs begin at 6 p.m. This is the third year for the educational programs. Organizers say there’s a continued need and demand for updated information regarding the natural gas industry and its drilling. Presenters include experts from the Marietta College’s Dept. of Petroleum Engineering and Geology; The Ohio State University’s Agricultural and Resource Law unit; and WVU Extension Service agents and specialists. The program is open to the public, regardless of a person’s level of knowledge and interest concerning the oil and natural gas industry. A second series on Natural Gas Pipelines is scheduled for February in Kingwood and Beverly. For more information, contact WVU Extension Service Program Coordinator Georgette Plaugher ( http://anr.ext.wvu.edu/home/contact_us/georgette_plaugher ) at 304-329-1391. Connecting the people of West Virginia to the University’s resources and programs is the primary goal of WVU Extension Service and its 55 offices throughout the state. Local experts, like WVU Extension’s agents and specialists, work to help improve the lifestyles and well-being of youths, workforces, communities, farms and businesses through trusted research in the counties in which they serve. To learn more about WVU Extension programs, visit www.ext.wvu.edu, or contact your local office of the WVU Extension Service. -WVU-

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Fwd: [Coal Volunteers List] Fw: Federal Court Rules in Favor of Clean Air -- Requires EPA to implement strong soot controls
by Jim Sconyers 04 Jan '13

04 Jan '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Verena Owen <verena_owen(a)prodigy.net> Date: Fri, Jan 4, 2013 at 4:17 PM Subject: [Coal Volunteers List] Fw: Federal Court Rules in Favor of Clean Air -- Requires EPA to implement strong soot controls To: coal volunteer list <coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org> Good news for clean air: Verena FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 4, 2013 Contact: Paul Cort, Earthjustice, (415) 217-2077; pcort(a)earthjustice.org Eitan Bencuya, Sierra Club, (202) 495-3047, eitan.bencuya(a)sierraclub.org John Walke , Natural Resources Defense Council, 202-289-2406 Mary Havell McGinty, American Lung Association (202)715-3459, mary.havell(a)lung.org *Federal Court Rules in Favor of Clean Air*** *Requires EPA to implement strong soot controls* *WASHINGTON, D.C.* – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit today released a ruling requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement stronger requirements to clean up particulate matter, also known as “soot, “one of the deadliest forms of air pollution. Rejecting EPA’s adoption of a weaker approach, the Court ruled that the public health protections in the Clean Air Act require EPA to use the strictest more stringent cleanup requirements in communities with unhealthful particulate matter levels. The suit was brought by Earthjustice on behalf of American Lung Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Medical Advocates for Healthy Air. “Soot pollution is dangerous to kids, seniors, and people with heart and lung problems, and kills tens of thousands of people each year” said Paul Cort, the Earthjustice attorney who argued the case. “This ruling will mean much stronger protections against this deadly pollutant.” Major sources of soot pollution include coal-fired power plants, factories, oil refineries, and diesel engines. The ruling means that more plants will be subject to more protective particulate matter limits in areas that violate health standards. It also will require limits not only on direct emissions of soot, but also on pollutants that transform into particulate matter in the air. Under the ruling, the most stringent controls will apply to communities that fail to timely attain health standards (within four to six years). Among other things, these areas will have to implement the best available control measures (instead of just reasonably available measures) and achieve pollution cuts of at least five percent per year if they fail to meet standards on time. “Soot particles are a dangerous mix of toxic metals and chemicals and are released into the air by burning dirty fuels like coal,” said Bruce Nilles, Senior Campaign Director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. “Today's court decision is a strong step toward ensuring our families have clean, breathable air.” “Few court rulings strike so close to home. This one’s as close as your next breath of air,” said John Walke, senior attorney and Director of NRDC’s Clean Air Program. “Soot kills. Now there will be less of it - in our air, our hearts and our lungs. That means less bronchitis, fewer asthma attacks, fewer heart attacks and fewer strokes. We can thank the court, with every breath we take.” “Cleaning up particle pollution saves lives,” said Janice Nolen, Assistant Vice President for the American Lung Association. “A few weeks ago, EPA adopted the strongest, most protective standard for fine particles. Today’s decision means that communities around the nation will have better tools to make sure that they can meet that standard and save lives.” ### -- Eitan Bencuya National Communications Strategist Sierra Club 202-495-3047 o 415-255-5521 m eitan.bencuya(a)sierraclub.org -- To access the Beyond Coal Campaign Resource Portal, go to: https://sites.google.com/a/sierraclub.org/beyond-coal-resource-portal/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "#Coal-Volunteers" group. To post to this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list(a)sierraclub.org. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to coal-volunteers-list+unsubscribe(a)sierraclub.org. -- Jim Sconyers jimscon(a)gmail.com 304.698.9628 Remember, Mother Nature bats last.

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Bridge To Nowhere? NOAA Confirms High Methane Leakage Rate Up To 9% From Gas Fields, Gutting Climate Benefit
by James Kotcon 03 Jan '13

03 Jan '13

This article reports very "preliminary" data on methane leakage rates from natural gas fields in Colorado and Utah which document that between 4 and 9 % of the methane produced was leaking into the atmosphere. The Utah data with the 9 % emissions was apparently unpublished, and simply was reported at a recent American Geophysical union meeting, so there may not even be a published abstract to cite. If these rates hold, true, they eliminate any climate benefit from using natural gas as a replacement for coal. Of course, without a significant price for carbon, basic economics means that most natural gas will be used "in addition" to, not as a replacement for, coal, and any purported climate benefit is meaningless. http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/02/1388021/bridge-to-nowhere-noaa-… The actual Nature article is at: http://www.nature.com/news/methane-leaks-erode-green-credentials-of-natural… These data contradict recent reports from EPA and US-EIA that American greenhouse gas emissions have declined, largely due to gas substituting for coal in electricity generation. The electric generation data do not account for these fugitive emissions from leaking gas wells and pipelines. http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/21/news/economy/greenhouse-gases-cut/index.htm The take-home message is that we need to become much more focused on enforcement of air pollution from gas wells, or else ban shale gas altogether, as the emissions from shale gas well completions swamp most other losses, and this could mean "game-over" for the climate. JBK >>> "Ann Payne" <notification+zlrdzo1f(a)facebookmail.com> 1/3/2013 12:23 PM >>> Ann Payne posted in Stop the Fracking in Morgantown Industrial Park Ann Payne12:23pm Jan 3 Thanks for posting this, Mark. Bridge To Nowhere? NOAA Confirms High Methane Leakage Rate Up To 9% From Gas Fields, Gutting Climatethinkprogress.org Researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have reconfirmed earlier... View Post on Facebook · Edit Email Settings · Reply to this email to add a comment.

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Fw: 'Fiscal cliff' deal includes extension to tax credit for wind industry
by Frank Young 02 Jan '13

02 Jan '13

"A one-year extension of a key tax credit for the wind industry made it into the fiscal cliff deal the U.S. Senate and House passed on Tuesday. "The tax credit, which has been a major driver for wind development across the U.S. over the past two decades, is worth 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour of energy produced by new wind installations for their first 10 years of operation. "A White House news release confirmed that the production tax credit extension is included in the Senate package that the House also passed. According to industry insiders, it would allow any project that begins construction in 2013 to claim the credit, even if it goes online in 2014. The tax credit that expired on Monday could only be claimed for projects that went online in 2012." ----- Original Message ----- From: Peter Shoenfeld To: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2013 2:53 AM Subject: [WVHCBOARD] 'Fiscal cliff' deal includes extension to tax credit for wind industry http://www.mydesert.com/article/20130101/BUSINESS01/301010039/-Fiscal-cliff…

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EC January 2013