The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

Building Performance Standards (BPS) are critical policies for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from existing building stock. Utilities have an important role to play in supporting these policies but need an incentive to invest in them. Our new paper also outlines opportunities for utilities and regulators and includes detailed case studies on the 20 states that attribute energy code savings to utilities or have plans to do so. Learn more⬇️

The Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (#R2E2) initiative from ACEEE and partners has been hard at work! We launched a new playbook and are teaming up with ENERGY STAR to host a series of workshops in the coming months to help local governments and community-based organizations advance equitable energy upgrades for low-income housing. See more of what the initiative is up to and stay up to date⤵️

Heavily urbanized areas can be significantly hotter than surrounding areas. These areas are called "heat islands." Smart surfaces—like cool and reflective roofs and pavements, green infrastructure, trees, green roofs, porous and permeable pavement, and solar panels—can help mitigate the extreme heat, but most cities aren't adequately providing smart surfaces for low-income and disadvantaged communities. Learn more about smart surfaces and how they can help tackle the impacts of climate change ⤵️

With the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law directing billions of dollars to climate efforts in cities and states, ACEEE senior local policy manager Stefen Samarripas outlines in Next City the practical steps cities can take to ensure their clean energy investments don’t leave behind those who can benefit most from the energy transition. Among the leading efforts are DC’s no-cost electrification upgrade program for low-income residents, Seattle’s effort to grow and diversify its clean energy workforce, and Nashville’s focus on equitable investments in its annual budgeting process. The leading cities demonstrate key steps for cities launching new federally funded clean energy programs: ensure that new clean energy incentives are streamlined and easy to use, require that new clean energy programs undergo an equity evaluation, and form community partnerships in workforce development initiatives. https://lnkd.in/ecpWk-S3

Join America Is All In for a webinar exploring the risks and impacts of the increasing heat waves across the country. We’ll hear from San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, American Public Health Association's #SmartSurfaces project manager, and others about effective adaptation strategies and federal funding opportunities to mitigate extreme heat. 📅Thursday, July 11 ⏰1 p.m. ET Register: https://lnkd.in/dHBS4jEp

Code Enforcement Professionals: Maine to West Virginia 🌍 NEEP seeks your expertise on the current state of our field. Your input is crucial for developing targeted training and resources. Key focus areas: ✅ Professional development ✅ Workforce diversity ✅ Recruitment strategies ✅ Enforcement challenges Your insights will directly inform industry improvements. Complete our brief questionnaire here: https://lnkd.in/dne_fNzc #CodeEnforcement #ProfessionalDevelopment

With states and localities set to receive billions of dollars for residential energy upgrades from the Inflation Reduction Act and other sources, the new R2E2 Playbook aims to help ensure that disadvantaged communities and local governments have guidance to leverage these dollars with energy upgrade programs that are community-led, easy to use, and use best practices. The Playbook outlines 12 key actions to help programs lower utility bills, cut pollution, advance racial equity, improve health outcomes, and build local economies. “Unaffordable energy bills, uncomfortable or even dangerous indoor temperatures, and the impacts of climate change disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. But underserved communities often have the least access to the resources needed to bring home energy upgrades to vulnerable residents,” said Ian Becker, project lead for the Playbook and Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity manager at ACEEE. “Community-based organizations and local governments nationwide are ready to meet this challenge, and the R2E2 Playbook is designed to help them implement innovative programs that center community priorities and improve quality of life.” https://lnkd.in/ezkE_WAE

Your insights can help ACEEE drive our communication strategies for advancing energy efficiency. Spend 10 minutes taking our survey to influence how we share and discuss important topics in our field. As a token of thanks for your time, you'll have the chance to win a $300 gift card. Share your perspective today! Take the survey now: https://lnkd.in/dwdQJMN3

The Philadelphia Energy Authority’s Green Retrofit Immersive Training program offers an innovative approach to help overcome a challenge many cities face: the lack of enough qualified workers for needed energy upgrades. The program provides a multi-step approach that prepares participants to fill jobs while diversifying the workforce. Philadelphia’s program can provide lessons to help other local governments successfully and equitably grow their clean energy workforce through efforts like removing barriers to participation and developing partnerships that help build capacity among local organizations. Learn more in our case study ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/dEJ_DUy3

Industrial heat pumps (IHPs) are a vital technology for heating and cooling large buildings and electrifying industrial processes. If deployed at scale, IHPs could reduce CO2 emissions by 30–43 million metric tons per year by 2050, equivalent to the emissions from 6.5–9.2 million gas-powered cars driven for one year. Electrification momentum is growing. Just this month, air quality regulators in Southern California voted to limit the amount of nitrogen oxides that can be emitted by fossil fuel–fired boilers and water heaters. This builds on other measures in the state, including one passed last year pushing food manufacturers toward electric ovens. Similar long-term efforts will be needed outside of California to encourage the adoption of IHPs and other electric technologies and provide their benefits to implementers and surrounding communities. A new ACEEE brief showcases the diverse benefits of industrial electrification. While it is well known that IHPs reduce fossil fuel use and related emissions, understanding and quantifying their other benefits could accelerate deployment. For example, IHPs can improve operations and workplace safety and reduce insurance, maintenance, and water treatment costs. These co-benefits often translate to savings as high as 20 to 30 percent of facilities' energy costs with traditional fossil fuel equipment. Communities nearby also benefit from improved air quality, reduced environmental risks, and new workforce and economic opportunities. What role do you see co-benefits playing in spurring IHP adoption? Which benefits should be highlighted? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! https://lnkd.in/eUaF2vyN