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Alternative Policies (Sample Project Citizen Project)

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Innovative ways to deal with climate change

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Innovative ways to deal with climate change

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5 Innovative Ways Cities Are Spurring Global Climate Action

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Cities are making sure the Paris climate agreement remains viable.

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Local governments can reduce energy consumption in their jurisdictions and help homeowners save on their energy bills, and lower greenhouse gas emissions with residential energy efficiency policies and programs. Residential-sector efficiency programs also increase investment in local economies and can provide jobs for skilled professionals such as energy auditors and home energy raters, contractors, as well as retailers and product distributors.

Policy Options for Local Governments

Local governments can adopt a range of policies and programs to encourage energy efficiency in new construction, existing homes, and new products. To support the programs, local governments also can develop financing options to help lower the cost of making energy efficiency improvements in new or existing homes. For each of these mechanisms, local governments may be able to coordinate with electric and gas utilities, regional energy efficiency organizations, trade groups (e.g., home builders, home energy raters, contractors, energy services companies, etc.), product retailers, and others to share information and leverage existing efforts. These stakeholders can help design, develop, and market local energy efficiency programs and policies.

New Home Construction

Local governments can pursue the following policy and program options to improve energy efficiency in the new construction sector.

Incentives

Local governments can encourage energy efficiency in new homes by providing incentives to local homebuilders who incorporate energy efficiency into their building practices through the ENERGY STAR qualified new homes specification. ENERGY STAR certified new homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to current code, and include additional features that typically make them 20-30 percent more efficient than standard new homes. Other benefits include improved indoor air and homeowner comfort, and lower energy bills.

One strategy for local governments is to offer home builders the following incentives for building ENERGY STAR qualified homes:

Discounted or delayed permit fees

Priority with code processing

Increased density allowances

Expedited plan approvals

Priority field inspections

Discounted utility hook-up fees or rates
The City of Tallahassee Utilities Exit, the municipal utility of Tallahassee, Florida, offers a rebate of $1/square foot (up to $2,000) for ENERGY STAR qualified new homes. Qualifying housing types include single-family detached, single-family attached, low-rise multifamily, and existing-home renovations.

Building Energy Codes

Building energy codes are intended to ensure a minimum level of energy efficiency in new construction. In combination with appliance standards, energy codes that are well-designed, implemented, and enforced can lock in cost-effective energy savings of more than 30 percent at the time of building construction compared with standard practices.

While codes are typically adopted at the state level, self-governing municipalities may be able to adopt and implement their own codes. The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy Exit provides information on the current status of state energy codes.

In most states, local governments are also responsible for implementing, inspecting, and enforcing the state code. Municipalities can go even further by providing code-related training and education for builders, inspectors, and other key stakeholders. The Building Codes Assistance Project Exit provides information to regulatory and legislative bodies on strategies for effective local implementation.

Ratings

A home energy rating involves analysis of a home's construction plans and onsite inspections to produce a rating or score based on a standard point scale (typically 0 to 100). Local governments can require energy ratings in new construction, promote voluntary rating programs, or offer incentives for the use of ratings. Some building codes also require home energy ratings. Learn how new homes earn the ENERGY STAR.

Site Considerations

Wind, sun, and shade outside a home affect energy use inside. Shade trees and evergreen windbreaks can be planted and maintained to reduce cooling energy use in summer as well as heat loss from winter winds. Shade trees can reduce cooling energy costs by 7 to 47 percent and are greatest when trees are planted to the west and southwest of buildings.

Local governments can use outreach, communications, or incentives to encourage homeowners to plant (or maintain existing) shade trees and windbreaks. To extend savings further to cover energy use outside the home, local and regional planning agencies can use rules and incentives to promote mixed-use development, walkable neighborhoods, and access to public transportation. For more information on planning and other site-related options, visit EPA's Smart Growth site, EPA's Heat Islands site, or the U.S. Green Building Council's Green Home Guide Exit.

Home Improvement

While new homes can be designed from the ground up with energy efficiency in mind, existing homes typically offer many opportunities for improvement. To help enhance the energy efficiency of homes in their jurisdictions, local governments can encourage homeowners to perform comprehensive home assessments and implement the recommended measures. These "home energy retrofits" can be a cost-effective way to provide significant energy savings to homeowners as well as improve the health, comfort, and safety of homes. This strategy can also create green jobs, improve the durability of the housing stock, and assist at-need populations. As with new home construction, local governments can coordinate with utilities, trade groups, product retailers, and other stakeholders to complement or leverage existing energy efficiency efforts.

Voluntary Programs

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) and other voluntary home energy retrofit programs offer whole-house, comprehensive approaches to improving residential energy efficiency. Local and regional policymakers can work with existing HPwES programs in their area or consider becoming local HPwES sponsors. Some localities have also proposed or adopted alternative voluntary programs, such as "direct install" initiatives, in which energy-saving retrofits are performed in primarily low-income households. These programs are often conducted using a "neighborhood blitz" approach, with all homes in a targeted neighborhood receiving the retrofits. They can also be done in conjunction with other programs, such as home weatherization or HPwES.

Regulatory and Other Direct Efforts

Audits: Energy audits assess how much energy a home consumes and evaluate measures to make the home more energy efficient. However, EPA has found that energy audits alone do not produce energy savings. A key strategy of HPwES is to empower the homeowner with information (via an audit) and create a clear pathway for acting on recommendations. Some local governments have promoted free or discounted energy audits for homes, or have considered mandating audits at the time of sale.

Energy Disclosure: Requiring home sellers to disclose their energy bills to potential homebuyers can increase market awareness of energy efficiency and promote the message that a home's energy use is an important factor that home buyers can consider as part of their purchasing decision. Local governments can require or encourage energy performance benchmarking and disclosure.

In 2009, New York City passed legislation requiring the owners of large buildings to make an annual benchmark analysis of energy consumption, allowing owners, tenants, and potential tenants to compare buildings' energy consumption.

Improvement Programs: Several localities have considered or adopted mandatory energy efficiency improvement programs that combine elements of several or all of the other types of efforts described above.

The city of Berkeley, California's Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance Exitrequires energy audits at the time of sale (if the home has not already been audited) and when extensive remodeling occurs. If the audit identifies energy efficiency measures required to meet the ordinance's standards, the homeowner must bring the home into compliance within one year after the audit.

Financing

No single clean energy financing mechanism can meet the needs of all customers. Therefore, local governments pursuing a lending program should understand the unique requirements and conditions of targeted sectors and project types. Municipalities can also coordinate with state governments, private lenders, utilities, and other partners to meet the range of financing needs.

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Bonds

A PACE Bond Exit is a bond issued by municipal financing districts or finance companies, with the proceeds lent to property owners to finance energy retrofits. The owners repay their loans over 20 years via an annual assessment on their property tax bill. A growing number of state and local governments have passed enabling legislations for PACE bonds or established PACE programs.

Energy Efficient Mortgages

An Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is a mortgage that credits a home's energy efficiency in the mortgage itself. EEMs give borrowers the opportunity to finance cost-effective, energy-saving measures within their mortgage and stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans, thereby allowing borrowers to qualify for a larger loan amount. EEMs are typically used to purchase a new home that is already energy efficient, such as an ENERGY STAR qualified home. Local governments can help promote and raise awareness of EEMs among local lenders, realtors, and homebuyers.

New Products

In addition to the options described above, local governments promote further energy use reductions in the residential sector by promoting energy-efficient products. Leveraging the ENERGY STAR program is an efficient way to encourage homeowners to purchase such products. ENERGY STAR products can be found in more than 70 product categories, including home electronics, heating and cooling, lighting, appliances, and more.

The following activities demonstrate a few of the many ways that local governments can work with ENERGY STAR.

Events (e.g., appliance turn-in/recycling)

Hosting a recycling event allows local governments to educate consumers on efficient products and practices, which include recycling appliances and other energy-consuming products at the end of their useful life cycle. Recycling also gives consumers the opportunity to replace the recycled product with a new, energy-efficient model. A recycling event provides a platform to talk to consumers about their upcoming purchasing decision, as well as any applicable incentives. Local governments can host or sponsor product recycling events.

Sales Tax Holiday or Cash Rebates

Sales tax holidays and cash rebates help consumers save money by making it easier for them to install energy-efficient products in their homes and businesses. Many states currently offer exemptions on sales tax for a period of time for certain products, and include ENERGY STAR qualified products on their eligible products lists. Local governments can help promote state sales tax holidays, exempt their own local sales taxes, or provide rebates.

ENERGY STAR Resources

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Local Residential Energy Efficiency | US EPA

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Local governments can reduce energy consumption in their jurisdictions and help homeowners save on their energy bills, and lower greenhouse gas emissions with residential energy efficiency policies and programs. Residential-sector efficiency programs also increase investment in local economies and can provide jobs for skilled professionals such as energy auditors and home energy raters, contractors, as well as retailers and product distributors.

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Class Policy - Breakout Group - Rachel B. - Jessica Louie 10/29/2020

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At-a-glance

Twenty-three states plus the District of Columbia have adopted specific greenhouse gas reduction targets to address climate change.

As states fit policies to their unique circumstances, they help innovate and test climate policy design.

Policies include carbon pricing, emission limits, energy efficiency mandates and incentives, and steps to promote cleaner transportation.

For years, U.S. states and regions have been addressing climate change in the absence of stronger federal action. A wide range of policies have been adopted at the state and regional levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop clean energy resources, promote alternative fuel vehicles, and promote more energy-efficient buildings and appliances, among other things. Although climate change ultimately requires an effective national and international response, the actions taken by states and regions play a vital role by developing and testing innovative solutions, delivering near-term emission reductions, and laying the groundwork for broader action.

Twenty-three states plus the District of Columbia have adopted specific greenhouse gas emissions targets. While each state has adopted a target and baseline year that suits its circumstances, the prevalence of these targets shows the widespread support for climate action.

Many other state policies not directly linked to greenhouse gas targets also help reduce emissions. Such policies exist in every state in the nation.

Carbon Pricing

One of the most direct policies that states use to address emissions is carbon pricing. Currently, this is only implemented via cap-and-trade programs, though carbon taxes are being considered in a few states as well.

The ten states in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) have implemented cap and trade in the power sector. Virginia will join in 2021 as the eleventh state. California's cap-and-trade program covers nearly its entire economy and is linked with the Canadian province of Quebec. Massachusetts has two separate cap-and-trade programs to reduce GHG emissions in the power sector: It participates in RGGI and also has a separate cap-and-trade program ( Reducing CO₂ Emissions from Electricity Generating Facilities) that runs in parallel to RGGI.

States and regions play a vital role by developing and testing innovative solutions, delivering near-term emission reductions, and laying the groundwork for broader action.

Electricity Sector Policies

A wide range of state policies help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector. Some were enacted explicitly to address climate change, while others have complementary objectives such as supporting in-state producers of preferred energy sources (typically wind, solar, or nuclear) or reducing customer costs by promoting energy efficiency.

One of the most common state policies is a portfolio standard that requires electric utilities to deliver a certain amount of electricity from renewable or clean energy sources. Most of these take the form of:

A renewable portfolio standard (RPS), adopted in 29 states and the District of Columbia, which require a certain percentage of a utility's electricity to come from renewable energy sources.

A clean energy standard (CES), adopted by seven states, which requires electric utilities to deliver a certain amount of electricity from renewable or clean energy sources.

Energy Efficiency Policies

States can promote energy efficiency projects and practices through mandates or incentives. Many states take both approaches. Mandatory energy efficiency policies include building codes that require low-energy features or appliance standards. Currently 15 states plus the District of Columbia have some appliance efficiency standards that exceed federal requirements.

Incentives for energy efficiency are provided chiefly through tax credits and/or rebates for energy efficiency products. Another way to promote energy sector efficiency is decoupling -changes in power regulation that base utility revenue on factors other than volume of electricity sold.

Transportation Policies

A popular policy choice today is providing rebates or other incentives for consumers who purchase electric vehicles. But state policies can reduce transportation sector emissions in other ways as well.

A low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by requiring a shift to lower-carbon transportation fuels, such as biofuels, without prescribing a particular fuel type. Currently only California and Oregon have LCFS policies in place. They require fuel providers to continually decrease the carbon intensity of the fuels they sell, and allow for credit trading to reduce costs of compliance.

Land use decisions and public transportation investments also affect transportation sector emissions.

Climate Action Plans

Climate action plans generally include greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and detail actions the state can take to help meet those goals. The plans may also include additional components such as resilience strategies, clean energy targets, and economic and social goals.

32 states have released a climate action plan or are in the process of revising or developing one. This includes 23 states that have released plans, 8 states that are updating their plans, and 1 state that is developing a plan.

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State Climate Policy Maps | Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

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At-a-glance Twenty-three states plus the District of Columbia have adopted specific greenhouse gas reduction targets to address climate change. As states fit policies to their unique circumstances, they help innovate and test climate policy design. Policies include carbon pricing, emission limits, energy efficiency mandates and incentives, and steps to promote cleaner transportation.

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New England is part of the larger Northeast region of the US, and made up of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

Nearly 15 million people call these six states home. Many New Englanders would argue the region has the most beautiful fall season of anywhere on the planet. Many more might contend that the most delicious lobster and seafood around can be found just off its coast.

But thanks to climate change, the region is seeing wicked big shifts in temperatures on land and at sea, putting all that natural beauty, the region's fishing industry, and more at grave risk.

Temperature Rise

Here's the climate reality: By 2035, the Northeast is expected to be more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) warmer, on average, than it was before the Industrial Revolution.

The Northeastern US is warming faster than any other region in the lower 48. This is especially true for the winter season, which has warmed three times faster than summers have. In fact, as of 2017, five of the six New England states had already warmed by about 3 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 1800s - only Vermont has stayed a bit cooler on average, warming by just over 2 degrees Fahrenheit.

You might think a few degrees is no big deal, right?

Wrong. The changes in temperature and seasonality that scientists have observed and predict for the future have big implications for New Englanders' health and the region's economy. That's because even just a few degrees can dramatically impact stable systems and challenge our ability to cope.

Let's start with the economy. The National Climate Assessment from 2018 lays out three industries that will be impacted by rising temperatures in New England:

Fruit farms: Changes in temperature mean shifts in seasons. Unseasonably warm days in spring mean fruit trees start to bud. But then, that crop is lost once a hard freeze or cold spell hits again.

Ski resorts: According to the NCA, "the Northeast winter recreation industry is an important economic resource for rural areas, supporting approximately 44,500 jobs and generating between $2.6-2.7 billion in revenue annually." But warmer temperatures mean a later start and earlier finish to the season, putting stress on the industry and its workers.

The fishing industry: It's not just life on land that's getting warmer - it's life underwater, too. Species like Atlantic cod, shrimp, and lobster have all been impacted by warmer ocean waters. New England is known for its incredible seafood, but these changes are making it harder and harder for people who catch our fish to keep up.

Climate "shocks" eliminated 16% of New England's fishing jobs between 1996 and 2017, according to a new study out today.

The actual impact on the region's seafood industry could be even higher, as the models here are limited in scope. https://t.co/EdEoMfXBcJ pic.twitter.com/gm9N1PH1ht

- Alexander Kaufman (@AlexCKaufman) December 9, 2019

And as for health, there are myriad ways the climate crisis could impact the health of New Englanders - from flooding and waterborne illnesses to increased pathogens in shellfish and much more.

But the direct impact of rising heat on humans? There is expected to be more heat waves across the entirety of the US Northeast, especially in cities. And according to the NCA, the "combination of heat stress and poor urban air quality can pose a major health risk to vulnerable groups" like the young, the elderly, those experiencing homelessness, and those with preexisting respiratory conditions.

Sea Level Rise and Warming Oceans

Here's the climate reality: Compared to the rest of the US, scientists have observed some of the highest rates of both sea level rise and ocean warming off the New England coast - and that's expected to stay true through the rest of this century.

Let's take a look at just one example. In Boston, Massachusetts, sea levels have risen eight inches since 1950, and the rate of rise is increasing dramatically. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh has committed $30 million a year over the next five years to defend the city from rising seas.

Climate change is directly linked to sea level rise in two main ways:

Added heat melts glaciers and ice sheets. This means extra water flowing into our oceans, making them higher than they used to be.

Water expands as it warms - and New England's oceans are getting much warmer. Imagine a pot of water heating on the stove. The volume of that water in the pot grows as it heats up. Now, imagine an entire ocean doing that.

According to First Street Foundation and Columbia University, sea level rise cost New England more than $400 million in home values between 2005 and 2017, with Massachusetts hit especially hard. One Columbia professor explained the findings simply: "Increased tidal flooding leads to a loss in home value appreciation. As sea level rise accelerates, we expect the corresponding loss in relative home value to accelerate as well."

>> Read More: Why Are Sea Levels Rising? <<

New England waters are not only becoming higher, they are becoming warmer. Since 1901, water along the coast has gotten 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. This has had an enormous impact on fish, the fishing industry, and the communities that depend on both.

Let's look at the Gulf of Maine, a large Atlantic Ocean gulf that touches Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine (as well Canadian provinces Nova Scotia and New Brunswick). It's warming faster than 99 percent of the world's oceans.

As reported by the Washington Post, climate change and changing ocean temperatures are creating winners and losers in New England. In Rhode Island, "the state's lobster haul peaked at over 8 million pounds in 1999. It hasn't exceeded 3 million since 2005." According to the NCA, lobster populations "have declined in southern regions where temperatures have exceeded their biological tolerances."

The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99 percent of the world's oceans.

It's dramatically disrupting fishery patterns and creating major winners - and losers. https://t.co/8nHc5huvd0 pic.twitter.com/xP21WSz0DZ

- The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 1, 2019

But in Maine, where ocean water has warmed to just the right temperature, things are totally different, as the Post reports: "Maine's fisheries have gone from landing about 20 million pounds of lobster each year in the 1980s to nearly 120 million pounds this decade." But the science shows that if the Gulf of Maine keeps warming, fisheries are expected to collapse there, too.

Join the Fight for Climate Solutions

Here's the climate reality: The solutions we need to solve the climate crisis? They're already available today. And we need people like you to help.

Whether you live in the Northeast or not, you can take action to solve the climate crisis today. To learn how to get started, download our latest (free!) e-book, What Can You Do? Your Guide to Climate Action in 2020.

The impacts of the climate crisis may be far-reaching, but here's the good news: solutions exist right now that can help us improve quality of life and work toward a more sustainable future for all of us.

And you are key to making those solutions a reality. Download this free new resource and learn how to shape climate action and drive change in your community today.

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How Does the Climate Crisis Affect New England?

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New England is part of the larger Northeast region of the US, and made up of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Nearly 15 million people call these six states home. Many New Englanders would argue the region has the most beautiful fall season of anywhere on the planet.

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Fourth National Climate Assessment: Chapter 18: Northeast

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This report is an authoritative assessment of the science of climate change, with a focus on the United States. It represents the second of two volumes of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990.

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In just the past few decades:

What's causing this climate crisis?

It's mainly us.

Humans are the main cause of climate change - we burn fossil fuels and chop down forests, causing average temperatures to rise worldwide. That global warming trend is increasingly disrupting our climate - the average weather over many years.

Earth has already warmed by about 1 degree Celsius, or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, since the 19th century, before industry started to boom.

While we experience the effects, we're on our way toward 1.5 degrees C (2.7 F) by as early as 2030.
7 facts about climate change
Why a half-degree more is such a big deal

Climate change is breeding storms with heavier rainfall, flooding farms - such as this one, which grows cotton.

A warmer world - even by a half-degree Celsius - has more evaporation, leading to more water in the atmosphere. Such changing conditions put our agriculture, health, water supply and more at risk.

Picture a North Carolina cotton farm that's been around since 1960, with global average temperatures rising by roughly half a degree since it grew its first crop.

The increased evaporation and additional moisture to the atmosphere has led to 30% more intense rain during heavy downpours in that part of the U.S.

Then a hurricane like 2018's Florence - already strengthened by warmer oceans and higher seas - dumps this excess rainfall on the farm. The crops get more flooded and damaged than they did half a century ago.

It's how you go from half-degree of warming to economic hardship.
Are record-breaking hurricanes our new normal?
There's still time to act

Whether it's a shift of 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees, these warming levels aren't magic thresholds. Every rise in warming is worse for the planet than the last.

But they're not inevitable.

It's not too late to slow the pace of climate change and avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis - as long as we act today. With your help, we can attack this challenge.

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This is why fighting climate change is so urgent

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In the past few decades, rising temperatures, melting ice and wildfires have worsened; here's EDF's take on why tackling the climate crisis is so important.

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What is energy efficiency and how does it help reverse climate change?

Energy efficiency is in the spotlight more these days when the topic of climate change arises. It's not obvious how the two are linked. Let's look at exactly what it means to increase a building's energy efficiency and how it helps reverse climate change.

What Is Energy Efficiency?

Building energy efficiency is avoided energy use. Energy efficiency is improved by changing building operations through mechanical or behavioral means that decrease energy use, aka save energy. Example energy efficiency projects are replacing fluorescent lighting for LEDs, replacing single pane with double pane windows or as simple as turning off the lights when you leave the room.

How is it calculated?

Energy saving analysis begins by first gathering current energy use data from utility data or monitoring equipment. The industry defines the current amount of energy used as the baseline. Energy engineers then calculate expected energy use which would result from the project. If it is a good project, the expected energy use will be significantly less than the baseline use. Engineers use tried and true analysis to calculate these expected values which varies by project type. They also use project costs in their analysis to provide financial metrics for decision making.

When looking at a building for energy efficiency opportunities, energy auditors will deliver a list of measures, aka potential energy saving projects. This table is an example of a measure list.

What is the difference between electricity consumption and peak demand?

You can see savings estimates for electricity (kWh), peak demand (kW) and gas savings (therms) in the table above. Energy consumption is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) over time. Avoided energy use is labeled as 'electricity savings' above.

Peak demand, billed for non-residential customers, is the largest instance of power use at a given time, typically a rolling 15-minute window. It is measured in kilowatts (kW) and different than consumption in that it is a rate. It measures the rate at which you use energy per unit of time. So, the more energy you use in that 15-minute window, the bigger your peak demand will be.

How do buildings save energy?

There are so many ways to save energy in buildings. The simplest way to think of reducing consumption (not demand) is by changing either the amount or duration you consume energy.

As shown in the graphic above, the easiest, and typically cheapest, way to save energy is by reducing the time which equipment runs through modifications to existing controls and scheduling. The other part of the equation are more expensive, complicated projects which reduce energy consumption with more efficient equipment.

How do you verify energy savings?

Engineers verify savings by obtaining post-install energy use data either through utility bills or monitoring equipment and comparing that data to the baseline. So in the end there's nothing concrete about energy savings except for your brand new windows, thermostat, lights, etc. But when energy efficiency projects are done well the best proof is your lower utility bill each month.

What Does Energy Efficiency Have to Do with Climate Change?

There's a direct link between energy use and climate change. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere causing increases in temperature. Carbon dioxide (CO ₂) is a common GHG and some others include methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. In the U.S. most GHG emissions come from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, natural gas and hydrocarbon gas liquids.

Since fossil fuels contain mostly carbon and hydrogen, when burned oxygen combines with carbon, forming CO ₂ which enters the atmosphere and the reaction also releases energy. We use the energy for producing electricity in power plants. CO ₂ also builds up in the atmosphere, increasing by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution contributing to increases in temperature. Release water vapor also impacts climate change since larger amounts increases the possibility of clouds and precipitation.

How Do Energy Efficient Buildings Help?

Large buildings require large amounts of energy to heat, cool, and operate. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, buildings account for 39% of CO 2 in the U.S.

Source: EEIA

The bigger reduction in a building's energy use, the greater the reduction in GHG emissions; since less power translates to less power plants. Less power plants, means less GHG emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, not to mention nuclear plants which have their unique environmental concerns.

Cities Encouraging Energy Efficiency

More U.S. cities are taking steps to reduce energy use in their existing and new building stock. New York City recently passed the most aggressive municipal legislation on improving building energy efficiency. Other cities like San Francisco and Berkeley also have legislation with mandatory energy audit compliance rules to increase efficiency. San Francisco is also piloting a strategic energy assessment approach to encourage action.

How Do You Become More Energy Efficient?

One of the first steps to greater energy efficiency is an energy audit. There are different levels providing various levels of detail. Its critical to ensure you hire a good auditor to get the most value from your audit. Following through and implementing your audit recommendations is the essential key to realizing your energy savings and improving your efficiency.

Next Steps

Improving efficiency starts with knowing where you are. Start chatting with your facility staff about current operational issues, ask for help gathering your building equipment and energy use data, and any history about building projects. These will all be essential to your energy auditor. If you have any questions identifying energy saving opportunities in your building, contact us anytime.

Like this post? Share it with your network on LinkedIn.

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What is energy efficiency and how does it help reverse climate change? - kW Engineering

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Energy efficiency is in the spotlight more these days when the topic of climate change arises. It's not obvious how the two are linked. Let's look at exactly what it means to increase a building's energy efficiency and how it helps reverse climate change.

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Northeastern University College of Science

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As sea levels rise due to climate change, researchers are working to determine how individual species might respond, and predicted impacts include landward range shifts for coastal organisms. Foundation species like oysters are of particular interest, because they provide a habitat for other organisms and serve as a natural shoreline buffer for coastal development. Therefore impacts of sea level rise on oysters have the potential to alter the important roles they play in coupled human-natural systems.

A new publication by a group of researchers including MSC Associate Professor Jonathan Grabowski and led by Justin Tyler-Ridge, a graduate student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, investigates the impact of proposed sea level rise on the growth of these important reef-building bivalves.

In the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, they measured air exposure of oysters during the tidal cycle and reef growth rates over a 2-year period. With this data they were able to construct a relationship between time exposed to air and growth rates, and calculate thresholds indicating when oysters thrive or fail to grow. The results indicate that maximum oyster growth is achieved when the organisms are exposed to air 20-40% of the tidal cycle, whereas little growth occurs if oysters are exposed to air less than 10% or more than 55% of the time.

To relate these results back to sea level rise, the authors note that the reefs they studied would be exposed to air less than 10% of the time in a projected sea level rise scenario, resulting in reduced or zero growth. The authors also discuss the possibility of oyster reefs migrating towards land to cope with sea level rise, in order to stay in the 20-40% air exposure range that maximizes growth. However, this is only possible in natural areas because coastal development will prevent landward migration of coastal organisms in many cases.

This work sheds light on the fate of an important foundation species in the face of predicted sea level rise, and identifies where oyster reefs will thrive and continue to provide shoreline buffering and other important ecosystem services.

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In the face of sea level rise, how will oysters fare? - Northeastern University College of Science

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As sea levels rise due to climate change, researchers are working to determine how individual species might respond, and predicted impacts include landward range shifts for coastal organisms. Foundation species like oysters are of particular interest, because they provide a habitat for other organisms and serve as a natural shoreline buffer for coastal development.

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We developed a vulnerability assessment for this region that describes climate change risks and opportunities for forests. Two global climate models, three forest impact models, hundreds of scientific papers, and forest manager expertise were combined to assess the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems. More than 30 scientists and forest managers contributed to the assessment.

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New England's historic fishing industry has been in crisis mode for years as the region's waters warm at a faster rate than most of the world, efforts by regulators to preserve dwindling fish stocks boat captains, and a general malaise settles over coastal towns built around the ancient profession.

Research published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finally puts a percentage on just how much changes to climate norms in the region affect employment.

Climate shocks and significant deviations from the average temperatures reduced fishing jobs in New England's coastal counties by 16% from 1996 to 2017, according to the peer-reviewed paper by University of Delaware researcher Kimberly Oremus.

"It's driven by the warmer winters," Oremus, an assistant professor of marine policy, said by phone.

To calculate the impacts of climate change on jobs, Oremus compared fishing data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bureau of Labor Statistics with the North Atlantic Oscillation ― the closely tracked sea surface-level pressure phenomenon that serves as New England's dominant climate signal. As a control group, she contrasted the New England figures with fishing employment in the South Atlantic, where the movement of fish populations in response to warming has been less severe.

The model offers only a snapshot of some of the changes occurring as a result of decades of unchecked fossil fuel burning and industrial emissions.

"This doesn't capture all the anthropogenic climate change," she said. "There's probably additional warming on top of the variability that I don't account for."

A one-unit variation from the oscillation's normal range affected employment by an average of 13% on the county level, Oremus found. A colder-than-average winter representing a one-unit deviation from the norm could increase jobs by 13%. Likewise, a warmer-than-average winter in the opposite direction led to a decrease in jobs by the same percentage. The figure could multiply from there, she said. A marine heatwave that veered two units from the oscillation's normal range could send jobs plummeting by 26%, Oremus said.

Lately, those variations have tended toward higher water temperatures.

The Gulf of Maine, which stretches from Nova Scotia in Canada to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has warmed faster than 99% of global oceans, increasing by an average of 0.11 degrees Fahrenheit per year over the past three decades. While temperatures fluctuate, melting Arctic ice is weakening the southward current that once flushed the basin with cold waters from Greenland, putting the gulf's temperatures on a firm upward trajectory.

The effects have made the fishing industry even less predictable than in years past. Record lobster hauls over the past decade in Maine now look set to decline, according to two studies published in the past month. The New England fishery for Northern shrimp, once a winter mainstay, is set to remain closed for a seventh consecutive year. An iconic seafood processing firm in Gloucester, Massachusetts, went bankrupt in May.

That makes the study's finding all the more valuable to policymakers.

The disruptions are driving calls for a so-called "Blue New Deal," a sweeping federal investment program to develop new, sustainable industries along the nation's coastlines (the "blue" designation refers to the oceans).

Proposals include policies to favor consumption of fish caught in the U.S. over cheap imported catches and tax breaks to spur new aquaculture industries that serve to increase jobs linked to farming seaweed and shellfish, which simultaneously help reduce pollutants. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has endorsed the idea.

"If the future becomes warmer on average or extreme events happen more frequently or become more extreme," Oremus said, "we're going to have to understand there's a quantitative relationship that exists between extremes and employment."

BEFORE YOU GO

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Climate 'Shocks' Eliminated 16% Of New England Fishing Jobs, Study Finds

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New England's historic fishing industry has been in crisis mode for years as the region's waters warm at a faster rate than most of the world, efforts by regulators to preserve dwindling fish stocks boat captains, and a general malaise settles over coastal towns built around the ancient profession.

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Who is impacted most by climate change?

Climate change is and will continue to harm all of us unless governments take action. But its effects are likely to be much more pronounced for certain communities and groups, as well as those who are generally already disadvantaged and subject to discrimination. This includes, but is not limited to:

People in developing nations, especially coastal countries and small island states

At a national level, those in less wealthy countries, especially low-lying, small island states and less developed countries, will be and are already among those worst affected by climate change. Often it's those who contribute the least to climate change that are most impacted.

This is due not only to their exposure to climate-related disasters, but also to underlying political and socio-economic factors that amplify the impacts of those events. In particular, the lasting consequences of colonialism, and its legacy of unequal distribution of resources among countries, have reduced the ability of lower-income countries to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change.

Pakistan, which has accounted for 0.4% of historic emissions since 1959, is listed as one of the most climate vulnerable places in the world, according to joint findings by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The 2022 floods alone have caused at least 1,600 deaths and cost the country USD 10 billion.

Communities suffering from environmental racism

The effects of climate change and fossil fuel-related pollution also run along ethnicity lines when environmental policy-making discriminates against people of colour and other communities facing ethnic, religious and linguistic discrimination, or excludes them from leadership roles in the environmental movement.

In North America, it is largely poorer communities of colour who are forced to breathe toxic air because their neighbourhoods are more likely to be situated next to power plants and refineries. They experience markedly higher rates of respiratory illnesses and cancers. African Americans are three times more likely to die of airborne pollution than the overall US population.

Marginalized women and girls

Women and girls are often confined to roles and jobs that make them more reliant on natural resources. Because they face barriers in accessing financial or technical resources or are denied land ownership, they are less able to adapt to climate change. This means that they are more at risk from the impacts of climate-related events as they are less able to protect themselves against it and will find it harder to recover.

Children

Children and young people are already suffering due to their specific metabolism, physiology and developmental needs. This means, for example, that the forced displacement experienced by communities impacting a whole range of rights - from water, sanitation and food to adequate housing, health, education and development - is likely to be particularly harmful to children.

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Why is climate change a human rights issue?

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It's easy to take our planet for granted until we see the human cost of its degradation.

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In September 2016, Governor Baker signed an Executive Order to provide further support for implementing the requirements of GWSA by establishing an integrated climate change strategy for the Commonwealth.

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International Coastal Cleanup® - Ocean Conservancy

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With individuals around the globe, the International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC) engages people to remove trash from the world's beaches and waterways.

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The Sponsors of Mass Save ® partner with local and national organizations to develop energy education initiatives in Massachusetts schools. The goal is to encourage students to learn the benefits of saving energy, and to explore innovative concepts for the future.

Teacher Trainings

The Sponsors of Mass Save offer teacher trainings providing energy efficiency related professional development for educators. The materials and training programs are aligned with Common Core State Standards, and provide comprehensive, objective information about the scientific concepts of energy and the sources of energy, their use and their impact on the environment, the economy, and society.

Explore Teacher Training Resources

Energy-Saving Fundraiser Program

The Sponsors of Mass Save offer an exciting fundraising opportunity for schools in National Grid and Eversource Electric's service territories. Students learn about energy efficiency and how their actions affect the environment. After the educational presentation, students participate in a fundraiser by selling discounted energy saving products for the home. Families benefit as they learn new ways to save, and schools get to keep 100 percent of funds they raise.

Get Started with Fundraising

Resources for Teachers

The program offers engaging energy-saving math and science lessons for teachers to incorporate into their curriculum. Students apply math and science skills as they learn about energy uses and costs, as well as better ways to save.

Explore Lesson Plans

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The Sponsors of Mass Save ® partner with local and national organizations to develop energy education initiatives in Massachusetts schools. The goal is to encourage students to learn the benefits of saving energy, and to explore innovative concepts for the future. The Sponsors of Mass Save offer teacher trainings providing energy efficiency related professional development for educators.

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The policy problem

Energy use in buildings accounts for a significant proportion of urban greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly in high-density cities. For example, New York City's most recent carbon inventory estimates that building energy use is responsible for approximately 67% of citywide GHG emissions. Given this, city policymakers have made increasing building energy efficiency, particularly of existing buildings, a central component of long-term sustainability goals. Informational energy regulations, which are premised on the idea that an absence of data and transparency can cause sub-optimal investment in energy efficiency, have become popular policy instruments for encouraging market-based - and data-driven - interventions for energy use reduction. Several cities are adopting mandatory audit policies, which require periodic audit reporting of energy use, systems inventories, recommended energy conservation measures, and energy and cost savings estimates. Few, if any, studies have examined the effect of these new mandatory building energy audit policies on energy use in office and multifamily buildings.

The findings

We find that, for the time period studied between 2011 and 2016, mandatory energy audits had a modest negative impact on energy consumption in office and residential buildings in New York City. The magnitude was consistent with the savings potential of low-cost energy conservation measures and retro-commissioning activities. Audited buildings are found to have energy use reductions post-audit of 2.5% for multifamily and 4.9% for office buildings beyond what would otherwise be expected (Fig. 1). The results reinforce the hypothesis that audits, by themselves, provide only limited incentive to invest in energy efficiency upgrades. Ultimately, building owners remain constrained by factors that audit information alone may not overcome, such as limited access to capital, uncertainty in savings projections, opportunity costs and weak pricing signals in energy markets. However, our analysis is constrained by data limitations that prevent us from examining the adoption of specific energy conservation measures over the study period.

a, b, Energy use intensity distribution pre-, during and post-audit period for multifamily housing ( a) and offices ( b). Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals.

The study

This study helps to inform urban energy policy decisions by comparing energy use in properties that have performed a mandatory energy audit with those that have not. Specifically, we analyze annual energy benchmarking data collected by New York City under Local Law 84 from 2011 to 2016 to investigate whether properties that conducted an audit exhibited greater average reductions in energy use than similar, non-audited properties. We collect detailed audit report data from mandatory Local Law 87 audits conducted in 2013 and 2014 through a randomly-assigned allocation process. This results in an integrated sample of 3,981 buildings. The analysis examines two primary building types (office and multifamily housing), while controlling for multiple time-invariant and time-varying attributes in order to evaluate whether energy audits have differential impacts across market segments. We also attempt to contextualize the audit effect by disaggregating the potential impacts of retro-commissioning activities from those attributable to energy conservation measures.

References

Further Reading

Kontokosta, C. E., Reina, V. J. & Bonczak, B. Energy cost burdens for low-income and minority households: Evidence from energy benchmarking and audit data in five US cities. J. Am. Plann. Assoc. 86, 98-105 (2019). Estimates energy cost burden distributions for low-income and minority households and introduces energy justice concepts in building energy efficiency policy.

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Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Science Foundation grant no. 1653773 and by the Sloan Foundation.

Author information

Affiliations

1. Marron Institute of Urban Management, New York University , New York, NY, USA

Constantine E. Kontokosta

2. Center for Urban Science and Progress, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Constantine E. Kontokosta & Sokratis Papadopoulos

3. Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law, NYU School of Law, New York, NY, USA

Danielle Spiegel-Feld

4. Department of Civil and Urban Engineering, New York University, New York, NY, USA

Sokratis Papadopoulos

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Constantine E. Kontokosta.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

About this article

Cite this article

Kontokosta, C.E., Spiegel-Feld, D. & Papadopoulos, S. Mandatory building energy audits alone are insufficient to meet climate goals. Nat Energy 5, 282-283 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-020-0603-z
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Mandatory building energy audits alone are insufficient to meet climate goals

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Mandatory building energy audits in New York City lead to a modest reduction of energy use of 2.5% and 4.9% for multifamily and office buildings, respectively. This suggests that other approaches besides mandatory audit policies, such as building energy grading and carbon intensity targets, may be needed to achieve sustainability goals.

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Advantages and disadvantages to energy audits

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Advantages and disadvantages to energy audits

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of An Energy Audit - 8020Green

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An energy audit provides a list of energy saving action items, prepared by an expert, making it easy to know what you need to do to save energy. But on the other hand it doesn't actually save any energy

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For millions of Americans, gardening is much more than a hobby-it is a passion. Unfortunately, climate change is threatening the gardening experience across the country. Fortunately, there are actions that you can take to be part of the solution-even while gardening.

Why Gardeners Care

As many gardeners and backyard wildlife enthusiasts across the country have noticed, climate change is already having a significant impact on our backyard habitats.

Higher average temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are causing plants to bloom earlier, creating unpredictable growing seasons. Even warm-weather plants like tomatoes can be harmed by increased temperatures.

Invasive, non-native plants and animals' ranges are expanding and making them more apt to take advantage of weakened ecosystems and outcompete native species. Some of the most problematic species, including kudzu, garlic mustard, and purple loosestrife, may thrive under new conditions and move into new areas.

Climatic shifts also mean that many native and iconic plants may no longer be able to survive in portions of their historic range. In fact, many states across the country may lose their official State Trees and Flowers. Imagine Virginia without the flowering dogwood or Ohio without the Ohio buckeye!

Important connections between pollinators, breeding birds, insects, and other wildlife and the plants they depend on will be disrupted. Pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees may arrive either too early or too late to feed on the flowers on which they normally rely.

These are major warning signs indicating that we need to take meaningful steps now to curb our carbon emissions. Given the strong relationship between gardens and natural variables such as temperature and rainfall, a changing climate will create some enormous new challenges for gardeners. Numerous studies show any potential benefits from a longer growing season will be outmatched by a host of problems-from watering restrictions and damaging storms, to the expansion of unruly weeds and garden pests.

Climate Solutions are in Gardeners' Hands

Although the predictions for climate change are dire, they are not inevitable. Just as serious consequences are projected, the impacts will be significantly lessened if we take steps now to reduce our carbon pollution. We can also take actions to help both natural and human communities adapt to the changes that are already underway.

Gardeners are both stewards and guardians of our environment, and can make a difference in the fight against climate change. Below are some ideas for how, we can make a difference both in our own backyards and communities, and across the country.

Taking Action in Your Backyard and Community

Improve your energy efficiency. Using energy-efficient products and reducing your household's energy consumption will reduce your contribution to carbon pollution. In your backyard alone, you can replace outdoor light bulbs with high-efficiency LED bulbs, install outdoor automatic light timers, or purchase solar-powered garden products.

Reduce the use of gasoline-powered yard tools. Avoid using gasoline-powered tools such as lawn mowers and leaf blowers. Instead, use human-powered tools such as push mowers, hand clippers, and rakes or reduce the amount of lawn area that needs maintenance. Using a gasoline-powered mower for an hour pollutes 10 to 12 times more than the average car.

Reduce the threat of invasive species expansion and incorporate diverse native species instead. Removing invasive plants from your garden and choosing an array of native alternatives can minimize the threat of invasive species expansion. Native plants help to maintain important pollinator connections and ensure food sources for wildlife; nonnative plants can outcompete these important native species for habitat and food. Contact your local or state native plant society to find out what plants are native to your area.

Reduce water consumption. There are a number of ways to reduce water consumption in your garden, which is particularly important during increased heat waves and droughts. These include mulching, installing rain barrels, adjusting your watering schedule, and using drip irrigation. Practices like mulching also provide nutrients to the soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers which take significant amounts of energy to produce.

Compost kitchen and garden waste. Composting this waste can significantly reduce your contribution to carbon pollution, especially methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. It also provides an excellent source of nutrients for your garden, again reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.

Plant lots of trees to absorb carbon dioxide. Trees can absorb and store as much as a ton of carbon pollution (CO2) from the atmosphere. If every one of America's 85 million gardening households planted just one young shade tree in their backyard or community, those trees would absorb more than 2 million tons of CO2 each year. Shade trees planted near your home can also reduce energy used for cooling in the summer.

Connect places for wildlife by certifying your backyard or neighborhood as a Certified Wildlife Habitat™ with the National Wildlife Federation. By certifying your own backyard and encouraging your neighbors to do the same, you can turn your neighborhood into a Community Wildlife Habitat, which can help maintain or reconnect fragmented habitats and provide ways for wildlife to better cope with the impacts of climate change.

Actions for Your Elected Officials

In addition to implementing solutions in your backyards and communities, gardeners can play an important role in moving America toward a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable future by contacting your elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels and urging them to implement a strong plan of action to combat climate change and safeguard people and wildlife from climate change impacts.

Contact your members of congress and let them know that you support the Clean Power Plan, EPA's first-ever rule to regulate carbon pollution from power plants. This rule will benefit wildlife and our communities and foster the growth of clean energy. Ask your members of congress to vote against any measures to delay or weaken this standard and advocate for protecting our gardens from the impacts of carbon pollution.

More Resources

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Gardening for Climate Change | National Wildlife Federation

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For millions of Americans, gardening is much more than a hobby-it is a passion. Unfortunately, climate change is threatening the gardening experience across the country. Fortunately, there are actions that you can take to be part of the solution-even while gardening.

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Nowadays, energy efficiency has become an essential topic when we talk about saving and the environment. In the middle of continuous technological development, in which it is important to analyze how much electricity we use, society is on the way to ingraining every little thing can do to become be more ecological. However, this trend is not quite there yet.

Currently, most people want their constructions to be mre in accordance with the new trends which protect our environment. Our society is progressing day by day in the use of tecnological items and electricity is indispensable for development. But the number of the resources in this planet are limited. That is why the role of the energy efficiency is essential. Nevertheless, what are the advantages and disadantages in this area?
What is energy efficiency?
Energy efficiency is a practice that is undertaken with the purpose of reducing the consumption of energy, looking for a way that won't lose energy quality in the process. Trying to use alternative energy measures which don't harm the environment and allowing us to save resources without spending more on our electricity bill in the day to day running of the household.

The search for efficiency is not just limited to housing, but also to other types of constructions, items used daily and household appliances. It's role is essential in houses to ensure the correct operation of heating systems and the insulation of the building. In addition, this energy efficiency has to ensure that all the intended objectives are being fulfilled, maintaning the quality, productivity and security of the people that use this method. It has to be safe for the property and the have correct functioning to reduce the ecological impact.

To sum up, energy efficiency is the ability to reduce all the possible power consumption or fan installation or equipment without decreasing the result of its functioning.
The challenges of energy efficiency
The main problem of energy efficiency is that it is not imposed in our society on a large scale. The investment in greener preventive measures is a step in the right direction that will Benefit all of us, as well as help us save money. Not all the products that we are using are efficient, that is why finding teh right ones is not a simple task. Little by little, the list of products or conditions that promote energy efficiency it is being increased in our market.

On the other hand, a fair price competition has not yet been establish, so all those products that are good for the environment are a little bit more expensive than those traditionally used. However, if we are thinking in the long term, the investment that being made in favour of energy efficiency is a stake in the future for all of us. In addition, this decision will help us to save money, because it will Benefit in reducing our household costs. In the end, the whole thing is summed up in raising awareness about the environment.
The advantages of energy efficiency
When we talk about the search of more energy efficient world, we talk about responsibility. The main advantage of investing in energy efficiency is obviously a long term decision. If we commit to being more responsible with the environment, we will be investing in a better future for all of us. In addition, we will manage to save on our bills in the long term, as well as being more responsible in the use of natural resources.

Thanks to buildings with energy efficiency, we will make our homes more accountable with the environment, as well as for our health. These benefits include:

Reducing the impact of greenhouse gases.

Decreasing costs in energy from houses and businesses.

Reducing the energetic dependence from outside.

Increasing the security of the energy supply.

Reducing the consumption of natural resources.

Decreasing production costs, improving the competitivity of enterprises.

Reducing the environment degradation, related with the exploitation of resources.

Reducing environmental damage and pollution.

Conclusions
Investing in energy efficiencies is one of the most important commitments to which all countries are adding, looking little by little for a cleaner planet. In addition, thanks to this measure we will revalue our house, looking for more security and comfort in our houses. Reducing energy consumption will help optimize our energy resources.

Find out what you have to do to get an energy performance certificate and to help in the care of the environment. Resources are scarce. It is the moment to evaluate new alternatives to guarantee that you will have a good quality energy source and you will not sacrifice anything. Investing in energy efficiency is saving not just your money, but also in your future.

If you want to know further about this subject or you want to query us don't hesitate to leave your comment or to contact us in detea@detea.com

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Advantages and disadvantages of energy efficiency

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Nowadays, energy efficiency has become an essential topic when we talk about saving and the environment. In the middle of continuous technological development, in which it is important to analyze how much electricity we use, society is on the way to ingraining every little thing can do to become be more ecological.

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Buying from New England, Buying Clean

All of the extra renewable energy in the Brookline Green Electricity program qualifies as MA Class I, and it is provided through local non-profit Green Energy Consumers Alliance. This results in two important benefits:

Only New England Sources

MA Class I renewable energy can come from New England or adjacent parts of Canada and New York. Brookline exclusively sources its extra renewable energy from within New England. We're helping to keep our energy impact local, supporting New England's clean energy economy. See below for a map of sources.

Only Zero-Emission or Methane-Destroying Sources

Brookline Green Electricity's extra renewable electricity only comes from:

Zero emission sources, such as solar, wind, low impact hydropower ¹; and

Sources that destroy methane, such as anaerobic digestion. Methane has a global warming potential (GWP) 28-36 times greater than CO2 over a 100 year period ². Combustion destroys methane and releases some CO2, resulting in a net reduction in GWP.

Other forms of biomass are explicitly not purchased, due to their positive emissions of CO2 during their life cycles.

Green Energy Consumers Alliance, the source for all Brookline Green Electricity's extra renewable energy, helps bring new renewable projects to life through long-term contracts. The sources from which Green Energy Consumers buys are shown below as of December 2019.
Resources that have recently been, are in, or are contracted with Green Energy Consumers
Helping to Build Clean Energy

Massachusetts has a requirement for every energy supply to include a minimum amount of MA Class I renewable energy, and that amount increases each year. If energy suppliers don't meet those requirements, they pay a penalty. This policy, known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard, provides growing demand for renewable energy, which incentivizes new renewables to be built. By purchasing a significant quantity of extra MA Class I renewable energy, Brookline is raising demand, incentivizing even more renewable energy to be built.

How big is our impact? According to our energy broker (Good Energy), in 2019, Brookline Green Electricity bought a 36,198 MWh of extra MA Class I renewable energy, above and beyond State requirements. These voluntary purchases are equivalent to the output of the annual production of about 8 typical wind turbines (1.5 MW each).

We are excited that many other cities and towns are joining with Brookline to implement the same type of program and amplify our impact. In fact, recent estimates suggest that fully 10% of the entire MA Class I REC markets will soon be voluntarily purchased by municipal aggregations going above and beyond state requirements, like Brookline Green Electricity,.

Footnotes:

1 Hydro projects that do not exceed 30 MW built after 1997 or have capacity additions or efficiency improvements made after 1997 (MA Class I eligible), and Low Impact Hydro Institute (LIHI) certified.

2 Environmental Protection Agency. Understanding Global Warming Potentials.

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All of the extra renewable energy in the Brookline Green Electricity program qualifies as MA Class I, and it is provided through local non-profit Green Energy Consumers Alliance. This results in two important benefits: MA Class I renewable energy can come from New England or adjacent parts of Canada and New York.

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Barnes mentor group Project Citizen Project template

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Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet

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Home - Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet

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Vital Signs of the Planet: Global Climate Change and Global Warming. Current news and data streams about global warming and climate change from NASA.