- Milestone: 200,000 Homes Weatherized
- 2 Million Smart Meters Installed in U.S.
- Peace Corps to Tackle Grassroots Energy Issues
- EPA, DOT Propose New Fuel Economy Labels
- First Solar Thermal Plant in California Licensed in 20 Years
- Ohio State Speeding Bullet EV Claims World Speed Record
- US Used Less Energy, More Renewables in 2009
Milestone: 200,000 Homes Weatherized
On August 26, Vice President Biden announced that 200,000 homes have been weatherized under the Recovery Act, employing thousands of carpenters and electricians and saving low-income families money on utility bills.
Weatherization services can cut a family's average annual energy bill more than $400 during the first year after home retrofits, according to a recent study by DOE's Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL).
DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program is now upgrading homes at its optimal rate-about 25,000 homes per month- to achieve the Obama Administration target of making 600,000 residences more energy efficient under the Recovery Act.
In the previous week, DOE released the selection of 119 organizations that will receive nearly $120 million to support new pilot weatherization projects designed to demonstrate innovative delivery, groundbreaking financial models, and new conservation technologies.
Overall, the Administration is investing about $90 billion through the Recovery Act in clean energy and energy-efficiency projects that cut costs, reduce energy use, and create green jobs. See the DOE press release, the August 25 edition of EERE Network News, and the ORNL energy savings report (PDF 287 KB).
2 Million Smart Meters Installed in the U.S.
DOE announced on August 31 that two million smart meters have been installed across the country, supported by Recovery Act funding that's speeding modernization of the U.S. electrical grid. Smart meter technology helps reduce the time needed to respond to energy disruptions and enables people to monitor their energy consumption and costs.
An Electric Power Research Institute analysis estimates smart grid technologies could reduce electricity use by over 4% a year by 2030, amounting to $20.4 billion savings for businesses and individuals.
To move in that direction, Battelle Memorial Institute is collaborating with American Electric Power on the Ohio gridSMART demonstration project to upgrade the electric grid in northeast central Ohio near Columbus. Some 110,000 smart meters have been installed, funded in part by a $75 million DOE grant using Recovery Act funds.
Overall, such efforts will improve grid reliability, increase grid efficiency, lower energy consumption and costs, reduce peak demand, and significantly reduce carbon emissions. See the DOE press release and the gridSMART Web site.
Peace Corps to Tackle Grassroots Energy Issues
The Peace Corps announced on August 19 that the U.S. Department of State will provide $1 million to fund the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA).
The money will help Peace Corps efforts that increase rural access to energy, mitigate the effects of climate change, and support the use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in Central and South American communities.
Peace Corps volunteers will work with local communities to build green energy infrastructure and to educate communities on climate change and energy conservation.
