It was Wednesday, March 11, when life began to turn upside down for Lee Householder and his 42 employees at Project:Homes, a nonprofit that does energy efficiency retrofits in Virginia.
The events of that day, like the National Basketball Association suspending its season and President Trump blocking travel from Europe, made the novel coronavirus very real and led workers to a crest of worry. They wanted to know the plan. The next day, March 12, “was a very chaotic day of scrambling,” Householder said. “How are we going to react?”
The plan that came was quick and absolute. “No one’s coming to work on Monday,” he told his staff.
And no one has been back.
Read More (E+E News)
Executive Director of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council Chelsea Harnish discusses the Virginia Clean Economy Act that passed in the General Assembly, and what impact will it have on the state.
Listen Here (Newsradio WRVA)
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax wants to finance upgrades to its sprawling, 1960s-era HVAC system. If all the pieces click into place, a Fairfax County church would be the first Virginia property statewide to tap into an initiative designed to quicken affordable upgrades to greener energy.
Read More (Energy News Network)
For Immediate Release: March 6, 2020
Contacts: Jason Roop, jasonroop@springstory.com | Virginia Energy Efficiency Council: Executive Director Chelsea Harnish, chelsea@vaeec.org, 804-457-8619
Virginia Energy Efficiency Council Celebrates Passage of Transformative Energy Efficiency Legislation
RICHMOND — Legislation passed by both chambers of the General Assembly today will boost the economy, transform the energy efficiency industry, reduce electric bills for families and position the Commonwealth for a clean energy future.
The landmark plan, known as the Virginia Clean Economy Act, paves the way for Virginia to reach a goal of zero carbon emissions by 2045. It represents an unprecedented shift in energy policy and ensures investment in energy-efficient programs, policies, jobs and technology.
In support of its passage, the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council — a broad coalition of business, government and nonprofit voices across the state — spent hundreds of hours working alongside lawmakers, environmental advocates and business groups.
“To say this is monumental is an understatement,” said Chelsea Harnish, executive director of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC). “The passage of this legislation is a massive and critical step for energy efficiency advancement in the Commonwealth. We’re thrilled with the potential impact this will have on job creation in our sector.”
There’s been a lot of hype and a lot of hand-wringing over the Clean Economy Act, the Democratic energy omnibus that outlines a path for Virginia to get to zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Read More (Virginia Mercury)
Fairfax County’s C-PACE program gives commercial building owners an avenue for obtaining private funding to support capital improvement projects intended to save energy or water, or to make their property more resilient to climate-related threats.
Managed by the county and administered by the Virginia PACE Authority, the program offers building owners access typically long-term loans so they can make substantial improvements to older buildings or add sustainable technology to new buildings at little to no upfront cost.
Read More (Fairfax Times)
The Virginia House and Senate passed sweeping energy legislation Tuesday that would overhaul how Virginia’s utilities generate electricity and, supporters say, move the state from the back of the pack to the forefront of renewable energy policy in the United States.
Read More (New York Times)
New energy-efficient lighting will make nighttime driving safer on Virginia’s highways, Governor Ralph Northam said in a December announcement. He announced that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will contract with Trane to replace more than 9,600 highway lights with light-emitting diode (LED) products, improving roadway visibility and energy efficiency.
Read More (Office of Governor Ralph Northam)
Starting this spring, Virginia will replace 9,600 lights on limited-access highways, interchanges, park-and-ride lots, rest areas and weigh stations with efficient light-emitting diode products. The LED changeover will reduce energy consumption by at least 50% and cut 8,800 tons of heat-trapping gas emissions, according to Virginia Department of Transportation estimates.
Read more (Energy News Network)
The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council presented the fourth annual Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards recognizing innovative programs and projects throughout Virginia. Charlottesville nonprofit organization The Thomas Jefferson Foundation was one of the winners.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, 2RW Consultants, Inc. and Matthews Development Company, LLC implemented the Monticello Mountaintop project Geothermal-Electric Plant to help restore Monticello.
Read More (CBS19 News)
