EERE Network News
April 30, 2008
News and Events
Proposed New Standards to Increase Fuel Economy by 25% by 2015
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed new fuel economy standards on April 22 that will result in a 25% increase in fuel economy by 2015. But record gas prices are already causing a shift in consumer preferences that is leading automakers to shift toward greater fuel economy.
EPA Establishes New Energy Star Criteria for Set-Top Boxes
Just two months after setting new Energy Star criteria for televisions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed the package by finalizing new criteria for set-top boxes. Set-top boxes carrying the Energy Star will start appearing in January 2009.
American Architects Name Top Ten Green Buildings for 2008
This year's crop of green buildings, selected by the American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment, place an emphasis on geothermal heat pumps, radiant floor heating, displacement ventilation, and the use of earth as insulation and as a means of blocking sunlight.
Los Angeles Approves an Aggressive Green Building Ordinance
All new large building projects in the City of Angels will have to meet rigorous green building standards, thanks to a new law signed on Earth Day. The new law is touted as the most aggressive green building ordinance of any big city in the United States.
Austin Energy Maintains U.S. Lead in Green Power Sales
For the sixth year in a row, the municipal utility for Austin, Texas, sold more green power to its customers than any other utility in the United States. So don't mess with Texas! More than 800 utilities across the United States now offer voluntary green power programs to their customers.
Maryland Approves Wide-Ranging Clean Energy Bills
Maryland now requires utilities to draw on renewable energy for 20% of their electricity supply by 2022. The state will also be requiring utilities to establish energy efficiency programs, with the goal of a 15% reduction in per capita electricity use and peak demand by the end of 2015.
Energy Connections
Researchers Note Rising Levels of Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases
Global levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased by 19 billion tons in 2007, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But perhaps more troubling is a 27-million-ton increase in methane levels, which haven't increased since 1998.
