The Oregon Department of Energy (ODE), in an effort to help local and county governments, has drafted a model ordinance for siting energy projects that are not subject to state-level review. Although still a work in progress, the model ordinance’s concepts could serve the interests of cities and counties nationwide.
A new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance offers a scathing critique of a 2005 study by biofuels critics, Professors David Pimentel and Tad Patzek. David Morris, ILSR’s vice president and author of the study, The Carbohydrate Economy, Biofuels and the Net Energy Debate, stresses that “A carefully designed biofuels strategy may be the answer not only to our energy problems but to another global dilemma as well: the plight of agriculture.”
More than a dozen states along with New York City have banned together and filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy for falling 6-13 years behind in adopting efficiency standards that were mandated by Congress.
The suit was filed September 7, 2005, and is being led by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. The suit maintains that DOE has failed to set new energy standards for nearly two dozen common appliances.
David Morris, Vice-President of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance gives a presentation on energy and biofuels to the National Press Club on August 23, 2005.… Read More
The State of New York is the latest of a number of states that have moved beyond Federal requirements for energy efficiency by establishing standards for a variety of everyday items.
Legislation in Texas has doubled the state’s commitment to renewable energy development and a report on California’s efforts indicates progress on meet its 20 percent renewable portfolio standard (RPS) years earlier than required.
The U.S. House and Senate have passed different versions of a national energy bill. A Conference Committee is trying to work out an agreement on a final bill. We took a look at the votes on various provisions in the bills and created some charts showing the differences based on political party affiliation.
We’re more interested on what’s going on at the state and local levels but from time to time it is instructive to look at what’s coming down from the top in terms of energy policy.
Over three years, Klickitat County in southern Washington, studied the potential impacts of future energy projects within its borders and came up with a plan to direct those projects to the most appropriate areas. The county’s new "Energy Overlay Zone" is a zoning tool aimed at expediting renewable energy development. The Energy Overlay Zone covers more than 1,000 square miles, two-thirds of Klickitat County.
The Connecticut legislature has sent the Governor a bill that calls for on-site distributed generation (DG) to meet a growing portion of the state’s electricity supply.
