March Newsletter

Friends—

Over the next several months we expect to see a flurry of major actions from federal agencies that could deliver tremendous energy-saving impacts.

The EPA is due to issue final emissions standards for cars and trucks. We have said that the proposals for both need to be strengthened.

The Department of Energy is finalizing numerous appliance efficiency standards, with vital final rules coming up for water heaters and distribution transformers. The department is also preparing to disburse billions in funds to spur industrial decarbonization. Meanwhile, HUD and USDA need to finalize their proposal to ensure new homes supported by several federal programs meet up-to-date efficiency criteria.

These are just a few high-profile examples among many others. The Biden administration has achieved significant climate and cost-saving progress to date—but will need to issue many strong final rules in the coming months.

Thank you, as always, for your interest in our work.

Best,

Steven Nadel
Executive Director

Nomination Opportunity

ACEEE seeks nominations for our Leaders of the Pack 2024 Awards, which will recognize exemplary energy efficiency programs across the United States. We encourage utilities, government agencies, and third-party program administrators to nominate their best programs by 5:00 p.m. (PT) on April 1 in one of ten award categories.

Efficiency Update

The U.S. Department of Energy finalized updated efficiency standards for residential washing machines and clothes dryers. The standards—based on a joint agreement between efficiency advocates and manufacturers—will reduce annual utility costs by $67 (for a household replacing typical inefficient models of both products) and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 71 million metric tons (from products sold over 30 years).
ACEEE and allies recently urged the International Codes Council (ICC) not to bend its rules to accommodate appeals submitted by business interests seeking to strip decarbonization measures out of the draft 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), a model energy code for residential and commercial buildings from the ICC that is adopted by many states. On Monday, the ICC Appeals Board recommended that the ICC Board of Directors deny the appeals. The final decision rests with the ICC Board, which is scheduled to meet on March 18.
Utility regulators in Arizona recently voted 4-1 to start the process of repealing the state’s energy efficiency requirements for regulated electric companies. This is a step toward canceling targets that have driven investments that benefit Arizona households and businesses and help the state avoid expensive new power plants as extreme heat strains the grid. The repeal process may take months, with final action likely after the November elections for the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Our Latest Research

	Ignoring Resilience Benefits Limits Growth of Energy Efficiency Programs Our latest report finds that the resilience benefits of energy efficiency retrofits are undervalued or missing from program cost-benefit evaluations and selection processes.
	Electric Vehicles Top 2024 GreenerCars Rankings as Prices Drop Electric vehicles continue to lead the way in our annual ratings of the most environmentally friendly cars.
	To Electrify Industry at Scale, Flexible Demand Is Essential This white paper calls on industry, utilities, and states to prepare for increasing electric loads by investing in strategies and technologies that enable industrial demand flexibility.
	With Industrial Heat Pumps, Facilities Can Rethink Their Thermal Loads This brief calls on engineers, industrial managers, and efficiency program administrators to adopt a “rightsizing” mindset for industrial thermal system design to increase heat pump adoption and reduce energy and water waste.
See all our recent blog posts and press releases.

ACEEE in Action

Pavitra Srinivasan, senior manager in ACEEE’s industry program, speaks on a National Academy of Sciences and Medicine panel on firm- and industrial-level responses to decarbonization goals.

What We’re Reading

A few of our favorite media highlights from the past month:

ACEEE’s GreenerCars ratings were covered by the Washington Post, Axios, and Jalopnik.
The Washington Post quoted director of codes and building standards Mike Waite in a story on homebuilders lobbying against strengthened building energy codes.
Bloomberg and Grist quoted ASAP deputy director Joanna Mauer in articles about new efficiency standards for washers and dryers.

News You Can Use

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program provides grants to states and local governments to implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution. The program’s first phase awarded grants to states and local governments to develop action plans outlining policies and projects they’ll implement. The application deadline for the CPRG program’s second phase, focused on funding implementation, is April 1.
The Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) launched a new annual program with applications now open for an $18 million funding opportunity announcement. Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE), funded through SCEP’s Local Government Energy Program (LGEP), provides direct funding and comprehensive technical assistance to federally recognized Tribes, disadvantaged and energy communities, and small- to medium-sized jurisdictions to implement municipal or Tribal-led clean energy projects. Applications are due by May 31.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants will provide $2 billion to support environmental and climate justice activities that benefit disadvantaged communities. Entities eligible to apply for this opportunity are partnerships between two community-based organizations or between a community-based organization and a federally recognized Tribe, a local government, or an institution of higher education. Applications are due November 21.

Staff Update

	Steven Ayilola joins ACEEE as IT support specialist. Steven was previously an IT specialist at Ruppert Landscaping. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Bowie State University.
We're hiring! ACEEE seeks a buildings director, a manager, state and local energy code implementation, a buildings program research analyst, an accounting manager, and a development assistant, corporate.