A recent brief from Utility Dive reported: “New York will ban hydraulic fracturing following the release of a report by the state Department of Health which found significant health risks associated with the process. Environmental activists hailed New York Gov…” Read More By the way, if you have been hearing a lot of fracking, but aren’t…
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New Portland policy would require commercial buildings to track and report energy use
Portland is considering a new benchmarking regulation, but it is not expected to impact multi-family housing at this time. Here is an article on the topic from the Portland Business Journal: “Owners of commercial buildings in Portland over 20,000 square feet would be required to track and report their building’s energy use under a proposed…
How will the new Congress handle energy issues?
The 114th Congress convenes January 6, 2015 at noon Eastern. A recent posting from Utility Dive offers some predictions on how they will handle energy issues: “Crucial energy-related decisions with 2016 deadlines will face the new Republican-dominated Congress beginning in January.” Read More
Webinar: Success Stories and Tools for Water Use Reduction in Your Portfolio
“The Energy Department will present a live webinar titled “Water World: Success Stories and Tools for Water Use Reduction in Your Building Portfolio” on Tuesday, January 6, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Did you know the Better Buildings Challenge is diving into the world of water reduction? Turns out saving water…
Boston, New York City natural gas prices expected to remain high this winter
According to the Energy Information Aministration: “Despite expectations of a milder winter for 2014, marketers anticipate high prices for natural gas in Boston and New York City. Natural gas prices are expected to be lower than last winter, but higher than the average of previous winters, particularly in Boston…” Read More A new brief from…
Winter Energy Outlook
In case you missed it, the US Energy Information Administration has published a Winter Fuels Outlook. Highlights include: EIA expects higher prices (rate) this winter for homes that heat with natural gas and electricity. Propane and home heating oil prices are expected to be lower than last winter. Projected changes in average U.S. household…
Energy Stats by State
Did you ever wonder how much energy a particular state produces or consumes? If you are a member or UMA or are reading this blog post, then odds are you may have given some thought to which commodity fuels your local power grid, but did you ever wonder which states produce the most of those…
Water Restrictions will go National
A panel at the Urban Land Institute’s Fall Meeting in NYC discussed the increasing need to plan new water strategies in all new development projects. Fresh water sources are becoming depleted in the Southwest, and rising sea levels are causing problems along the East Coast. Stormwater and water treatment capacity also need to be taken into…
U.S. Reports Significant Rise in Electricity Costs
EIA is showing that residential electric costs rose by an average of 3.2% over the past few months. More worrisome according to the article is that a number of coal-fired generation facilities have been mothballed recently, and if this upcoming winter is as cold as last year, prices will rise further—and may overwhelm the grid….
It’s hip to Conserve
Conan O’Brian and Andy Richter have created six public service announcements regarding saving water. This comes on the tail of Lady Gaga and Sammy Hagar creating public services announcements (“PSA’s”) related to the California Drought. These PSA’s are really a helpful weapon in the good fight for water conservation. As sharing is caring, I recommend…