Blazing the Path to a New Energy Future
Welcome to the New Energy Cities blog.
NEC Weekly Wrap-May 10, 2013
NASA says some regions may have no rainfall in the future. . . Seattle aims for carbon neutrality by 2050. . . Boston buildings must report on annual energy and water use. . . Sebastopol, CA requires new homes and commercial buildings to install solar panels. . . Republican-leaning states use more energy and emit more CO2. . . Washington is again the most bike-friendly state in the U.S. . . . Nissan LEAF sales at a record high. . . More solar planned in Massachusetts, California, and Hawai’i. Read More »
Why Oyster Farmers Believe in Climate Change
On Earth Day 2013, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee declared, “First we had the canary in the coal mine. Now we have the oyster in the ocean for climate change.” The governor is right to issue this clarion call: unless we change business as usual, we might not be able to enjoy one of life’s greatest pleasures – fresh oysters on the half shell. Read More »
NEC Weekly Wrap-May 4, 2013
Highlights this week include: The Earth approaches 400 parts per million. . . U.S. imports of Canadian crude oil on the rise. . . Debates over how CA will distribute $500m in clean energy funds. . .Continued calls for a carbon tax from news outlets around the country. . .Study finds that economic benefits of EPA regulations far outweigh the costs. . .The fate of the OR solar industry. . .Huge energy and economic savings from upgrading municipal water systems. . .Verizon to spend $100m on solar and fuel cells. . .Buying groceries online and having them delivered to your home saves carbon emissions. . .Next-gen Volts will cost $7-10,000 less. . . 10 U.S. cities are acting to remove fossil fuels from their investment portfolios. Read More »
Keeping the Energy Retrofit Dream Alive
US communities are far from empty-handed as they set out to build energy efficiency retrofit programs. DOE and a number of nonprofit organizations offer resources for communities to get started. New developments in local energy efficiency finance and policy emerge regularly. Read More »
NEC Weekly Wrap-April 26, 2013
Highlights this week include: The greenest office building in the world opens in Seattle. . .California plans how to invest its carbon auction revenue. . .Republican Senator Murkowski says climate change is real and we must fight it. . .San Diego County is told to strengthen its climate action plan. . .India investing in energy efficiency and microgrids to meet its energy needs. . .70% of new global power generation from now until 2030 is likely to be renewable. . .BMW to offer solar-powered charging systems to EV customers that will help reduce power bills as well as charge cars. . .Hawai’i PUC recommending on-bill program for clean energy projects. . .DOE’s $2.96 billion smart grid programs created national economic value of $6.8 billion. Read More »
Each week the New Energy Cities team reads a wide variety of blogs, news articles, reports, and studies and select the most interesting items for our 
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