Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: September 16, 2009

DOE: $454M for "Retrofit Ramp-Ups" in Energy Efficiency DOE: $354M for Efficiency Projects in 22 States "H-Prize:" $1M for Improved Hydrogen Storage DOE: $14.6M to Develop Water Power Technologies DOE Recognizes Midwest Industrial Efficiency Leaders DOE, EPA, Announce Green Power Leadership Awards New Reports Emphasize the Monetary, Security Costs of Climate Change DOE to Offer $454M for Energy Efficiency ‘Retrofit Ramp-Ups’ To jump-start a shift toward greater energy efficiency across the US, DOE unveiled a new "Retrofit Ramp-Up" program, funded by $450 million in Recovery Act funds. The two-pronged effort aims to catalyze a nationwide energy efficiency upgrade that could save $100 million annually in utility bills for households and businesses. The goal of Retrofit Ramp-Up is to roll out energy efficiency to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in a variety of U.S. communities. The program kicks off with a Request for Information (RFI) that seeks comments on two portions of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. The first and largest portion will offer up to $390 million for whole-neighborhood building retrofits. These will be competitively-selected projects that demonstrate a sustainable business model for providing cost-effective energy upgrades for a large percentage of the residential, […]

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Green Week in Review podcast – September 18, 2009

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The Green Week in Review is a podcast, hosted by SustainableBusiness.com News Editor Bart King. It’s posted every Friday morning and is about 15 minutes long. You can listen to it through your browser or download it to a portable MP3 player. Sign up for our General News RSS Feed and it will be automatically downloaded to your computer’s media player each week. In this week’s show… On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) joined together to propose new fuel economy standards for vehicles sold in the U.S. The EPA also announced it will reconsider the national smog standards released under the Bush administration to ensure they are scientifically sound. The Department of the Interior launched the first-ever coordinated strategy to address impacts of climate change on America’s land, water and cultural resources. California boosted its renewable portfolio standard to 33%, but not without a struggle between the Governor and the legislature. Plus, the state is approaching its net metering cap for residential and commercial solar systems. The Montreal Protocol for protection of the ozone layer achieved a historic mark this week. Plus, a summary of the week’s top cleantech headlines. ++++ Email comments […]

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