In his inauguration speech, Trump promised that every decision “will be made to benefit American workers and American families.”

In energy, the reality is very different.

Since the president took office, the Trump administration has attempted to systematically dismantle nearly every energy program with direct benefits to American consumers, from efficiency standards to weatherization programs for low-income families. (This doesn’t include the billions in cuts to advanced energy programs designed to make America an energy technology leader.)

This could have wide-reaching economic consequences. A tally of top programs on the chopping block, such as Energy Star and appliance standards, shows that consumers will lose out on hundreds of billions of dollars in cost savings under Trump administration proposals.

Read More (Greentech Media)

“The Democratic Party’s victory on Tuesday in the governor’s race appears to have cemented the move toward climate regulations, with Lt. Gov. Ralph Northambeating Republican challenger Ed Gillespie,” reports John Siciliano, who covers energy and environment issues for the Washington Examiner, on Nov. 9.

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, had initiated a process to create a greenhouse gas system after President Trump decided to scrap the Obama administration’s climate change regulations this year [including the clean power plan rule].

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality will begin presenting its draft greenhouse gas program next week to the state’s pollution board for approval to create the state’s first cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Read More (Planetizen)

Partisan fights in Washington can leave the impression that we’re hopelessly divided. The truth is there are plenty of bipartisan solutions to the energy and environmental challenges we face, and energy efficiency is near the top of the list.

America fails to capture some two-thirds of the power it generates, much of it through simple waste, according to federal data. In a recent survey, the United States was ranked eighth among 23 of the world’s top energy-consuming countries in efficiency, behind several European nations, China and Japan.

We shouldn’t accept that.

Energy efficiency is one of the most powerful resources we have for meeting our energy and environmental goals. It is also an enormous economic opportunity.

Read More (New York Times)

Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced an energy performance contract between the Virginia Department of General Services (DGS) and Schneider Electric to make energy efficiency improvements to multiple government buildings, including the Patrick Henry Building which houses the Governor, his Cabinet and staff.  The project includes six state office buildings and will result in annual energy and operational savings of $245,000. Construction is scheduled to be complete in 2018.

“As I stated in my Energy Plan, reducing energy costs and consumption in state government has been a top priority for my administration,” said Governor McAuliffe.  “This project will deliver facilities upgrades with no upfront capital costs to taxpayers, while reducing the amount of electricity the state uses and taxpayer dollars going to utility bills. I am pleased that these improvements are being made in the building that houses my staff, my Cabinet Secretaries, and numerous other dedicated state employees and look forward to these cost saving strategies to continue for years to come.”

The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council honored the work with an award at the organization’s annual awards ceremony Thursday evening at the University of Richmond.

Read More (Office of the Governor)

In three days, Virginians will go to the polls to elect the next governor of the commonwealth and a new House of Delegates. There are many important issues that will be facing our elected officials over the next four years. Among them is growing our economy. Focusing on advanced energy and the jobs it can bring to Virginia would be a good place to start.

Advanced energy is the sleeping giant of Virginia’s energy economy. Virginians probably don’t realize that the commonwealth ranks 10th nationally in the total number of advanced energy jobs, with 81,150 people employed in the sector, nearly as many as work in hospitals. More than 75,000 workers are involved in making homes and commercial buildings more energy efficient — as many as are employed in supermarkets and grocery stores. In electric power, solar energy employs nearly twice as many Virginians as coal, oil, and natural gas generation — more than 4,300, versus fewer than 2,400.

Read More (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

As consumers, we have been conditioned to expect efficient, seamless and customized interactions with our service providers — from our phone company to our bank. And we’ve become accustomed to these providers widening their net and delivering a broader array of services over time.

Take, for example, credit card companies. Ten years ago, they were a means to an end. A customer purchased what she needed on credit, and then paid the bill either when it arrived or slowly over time. Today, credit card companies have become a financial hub for many consumers — in addition to providing value added services, like points and rewards, they also provide security and monitoring, alerting customers when fraud is suspected or detected.

So, how have credit card companies successfully moved from a space based purely on transactions to one that is built upon a strong customer relationship? By using customer data to deliver personalization at each moment of the customer journey.

Read More (Greentech Media)

A new survey conducted by the Association for Energy Services Professionals finds customer participation in utility energy management programs is still fairly low — but is growing by double-digits in some service territories.

The study found that only 31% of the consumers had participated in a utility-run energy management program. Participation rates ranged widely, from 1% to 80%, with an average participation of 17%.

The survey, conducted in partnership with Essense Partners, is one of four that will be released this year. Other topics to be examined include: energy efficiency jobs, distributed energy resources, and the Internet of Things.

Read More (Utility Dive)

The European Commission’s “Clean Energy for All Europeans” package of legislation puts “Efficiency First.” Generally praised by energy efficiency advocates, this principle evokes fear in the renewable energy sector. Does Efficiency First mean that renewable energy takes the back seat? Will Efficiency First slow down the remarkable expansion of renewable energy in recent years?

The answer to these questions is a clear “no.” In order to completely decarbonise energy production, we need more investment in renewables, not less. Just as the energy system cannot be decarbonised through energy efficiency alone, a system with 100 percent renewables cannot be achieved without extensive energy efficiency. This is one reason why the International Energy Agency (IEA) has described energy efficiency as a “first fuel.”

Read More (The Energy Collective)

Energy efficiency (EE), broadly defined, means using less energy to provide the same, or often superior, energy services. EE is most commonly thought of as technologies that reduce energy use relative to traditional technologies, such as LED lighting and high efficiency appliances and heating and cooling equipment.

But today, EE also includes the use of sophisticated energy management systems, internet-connected thermostats, and data analytics. Many benefits come from EE technologies and practices, including cost savings for customers, consumer empowerment and engagement, improved facility operations and building energy system reliability, enhanced grid performance, reductions in electricity bills, and job creation.

EE is widely recognized as the lowest cost resource for meeting electricity needs. Strong EE polices and investments help keep electricity bills low for all by reducing the need for new and expensive generating assets, as well as new transmission and distribution infrastructure. In 2016, The U.S. building efficiency sector accounted for nearly $70 billion in revenue and there were about 2.2 million U.S. jobsassociated with energy efficiency.

Read More (Utility Dive)