energy efficiency


Photo by Justin McAfee on Unsplash

Michigan Should Reject DTE’s Integrated Resource Plan, Here’s Why

, lead Midwest energy analyst

December 10, 2019 10:09 AM EDT

After hundreds of pages of expert testimony (including testimony from UCS), thousands of public comments, and two rounds of legal briefing, a Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) administrative law judge will issue a recommended decision later this month on whether DTE’s integrated resource plan should be rejected, modified, or approved. UCS and numerous other stakeholders are urging the MPSC to reject DTE’s flawed resource plan and direct the company to redo its analysis. Here’s why. Read more >

Bookmark and Share

Credit: Shutterstock.com/Kzenon

Do You Live in the Most Energy Efficient State? Here Are the Winners

, Senior energy analyst

November 14, 2019 4:10 PM EDT

The latest rankings for the most energy-efficient states are out. And the winners are…

ACEEE (the American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy) has released its 2019 state energy efficiency scorecard—its 13th edition. ACEEE’s annual release is always welcome, as a chance to take stock of where we are—where state leadership is—in moving along one of our most powerful tools for energy sector progress.

Read more >

ACEEE 2019
Bookmark and Share

Untwisting Supercoiled Fibers Produces Decreased Surface Temperatures
Credit: University of Texas at Dallas

The Power of Energy Innovation (Have Fishing Line, Will Cool?)

, Senior energy analyst

October 17, 2019 4:33 PM EDT

“Twistocaloric” cooling technology, spelled out in Science, is based on an amazingly simple concept: the property of materials—think rubber bands, for example—to heat up when stretched, and cool down when released. These innovations (and similar recent work on elastocaloric cooling) are aimed straight at the heart of a major consumer of electricity: Cooling for refrigeration and air conditioning account for a fifth of global electricity demand in buildings, and are poised for lots of growth. Any successful efficiency improvements in that sector could be huge, and with twistocaloric cooling we’re talking about systems potentially 20% more efficient than our current (vapor-compression) technology. Read more >

Bookmark and Share

Photo: Zbynek Burival/Unsplash

Xcel Energy’s Plan to Eliminate Coal and Boost Solar in Minnesota

, lead Midwest energy analyst

May 20, 2019 1:03 PM EDT

Today, Xcel Energy released a preliminary plan to phase out its remaining coal-fired power plants in Minnesota and replace them primarily with wind, solar, and energy efficiency—moving the company forward toward its goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.

Part of the plan involves a consensus proposal joined by the Union of Concerned Scientists, other clean energy organizations, and the Laborers International Union of North America.

Read more >

Photo by Zbynek Burival on Unsplash
Bookmark and Share

Photo: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

5 Reasons Why HB 6, Ohio’s Nuclear Plant Subsidy Proposal, Should Be Rejected

, director of energy research, Clean Energy

May 16, 2019 10:38 AM EDT

Last November, UCS released Nuclear Power Dilemma, which found that more than one-third of existing nuclear plants, representing 22 percent of total US nuclear capacity, are uneconomic or slated to close over the next decade. This included the Davis-Besse and Perry plants in Ohio that are owned by Akron-based FirstEnergy Solutions. Replacing these plants with natural gas would cause emissions to rise at a time when we need to achieve deep cuts in emissions to limit the worst impacts of climate change.

Read more >

Bookmark and Share