energy efficiency event considerations

• • correspondence from Cathy Strickler 10/2/2013: The L&E comm. met this morning and wants to find out if the E&E comm. is interested in having a program on government policy and energy efficiency.

The idea evolved from a Time mag. article on an energy eff. bill, S.1392, the Shaheen-Portman bill, being considered in the Senate. I looked it up and Warner is a co-sponsor. It deals with grants to states for better building code efficiency. L&E is considering doing a LTE on this, thanking Warner for his support. It is bi-partisan and was debated on the Senate floor. I talked to Suzanne Watson, policy director of the ACEEE this AM before our meeting and she said Warner has been a champion on this issue and we should let him know we appreciate and care about this. It's very uncertain what the future of this bill will be, a lot of external factors involved, other issues taking precedent.

Anyway, we thought maybe one of his staff would come and explain why this bill is good and needed. Then we got to thinking about the state and local level. There is a Sierra Club staff person, Kate Adleman, who has been writing repeatedly about the building codes in VA. and stuff happening there. And then we thought local with Kai wanting more public support for the retrofitting of the schools and that maybe he would be part of a panel.

• • from Kai Degner 9/3/2013: Thanks for the Pub Safety Building kudos. Let me remind you: one of the reasons this vote was so important was to signal to the school board it's ok for them to consider using the same approach to make their schools more efficient. The Public Safety Building is wasting about $100,000 / year. The school's audit school they spend $400,000 / year on utility costs that could be redirected towards payment for upgrades. I encourage you and CAAV to inquire about this possibility with school board members.

  • Old South High blog entry 10/18/2013: The City School System Commissioned a Report Showing How It Could Reduce Its Energy Footprint and Save a Lot of Money, But Then It Put Everything On Hold

  • from Maria Papadakis 10/16/2013: Hi Joni. This is a terrific article that highlights the power of efficiency and conservation. These smart controls and smart metering are becoming a powerful new tool in energy conservation thanks to the new technologies. It would be a great forum to have. In fact, I would encourage CAAV to do more than an evening forum. This is the sort of thing that you might want to organize a half-day workshop on, as there is quite a lot of information and guidance to be provided to the residential, commercial, and farm sectors.

  • energy efficiency and solar pv workshop agenda for 10/18/2013 in Daleville, VA: The workshop will bring together the community and leading practitioners to discuss cutting-edge and affordable ways to reduce energy use and cool energy bills, and build a clean energy future for ALL Virginians! This workshop will deliver information that strengthens awareness of energy efficiency and conservation, and renewable energy options for Virginians. This information will empower Virginias to make smart energy decisions and reduce their energy use and cost while helping Virginia meet its 10% energy reduction goal by 2022. Reaching this goal would postpone the need to build four to five additional power generation stations, clean our air, water, and land, and save Virginians a net $200 million to $700 million according to the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy. Furthermore, this workshop will facilitate discourse and build demand for smart policies and financial incentives to spur energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for Virginians.