This blog was written by SACE intern Jeannie McKinney and Natalie Mims. Our nation has seen an exponential rise in environmental activism and energy problem solving within the last decade, and the Southeast is no exception. Today, community groups are starting to create their own energy and sustainability solutions to local and national environmental problems. [...]
A fascinating new study from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy takes a look at what’s on the bills that electric utilities send to their customers. OK, you have got to be an energy geek to appreciate this kind of insight, but here are two observations. ACEEE’s report, “The State of the Utility Bill,” [...]
Senator Bob Corker recently held a forum at UT Chattanooga’s campus to discuss the state’s electricity issues and what that means for job creation in this area. Unfortunately, the roundtable was more of a half-circle as it did not include a single representative from the state’s multi-billion dollar (and growing) renewable energy and energy efficiency [...]
This blog was written by SACE intern Jeannie McKinney and Natalie Mims. Finding best practices in utility-led energy efficiency programs usually means looking beyond our region. Sadly, most of the leading programs are developed and demonstrated by peer utilities in other regions of the U.S. It has been particularly distressing to see that the great [...]
Just a brief update for those who are interested in why Florida is moving so slowly on energy efficiency. As recently noted by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, “regulators in Florida … took actions to render their energy savings target ineffective.” Similarly in response, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is protesting [...]
For over a decade, states have been coasting along with policies that affect the market for key energy resources: small renewable energy generators and companies that practice cogeneration (also known as energy recycling, or combined heat and power). As advocates for consumer-friendly energy efficiency, we’ve learned that these same policies affect energy efficiency, particularly what [...]
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE ) released their 5th annual state scorecard on energy efficiency yesterday and the results, not surprisingly, support that the efficiency sector continues to grow and create jobs. The report found that the nationwide budget for electricity efficiency programs increased $1.1 billion from 2009 to 2010, and [...]
Knoxville’s 2011 Solar Home Tour is October 22. SACE is excited about this year’s annual tour, and welcomes the recent expansion of solar energy development in east Tennessee. I am especially excited to offer my home as one of the stops along the tour. Our objective is to have a net-zero home, and between our [...]
As the third in a series of blogs during Energy Awareness Month, this post explores simple energy savings tips for your home. Since 1991, the federal government has recognized October as Energy Awareness Month. SACE is taking this opportunity to focus on how we can all reduce energy use in our everyday lives. Before we [...]
This guest post was authored by Danielle Matheson, Campus Program Communications Intern for the Southern Energy Network (SEN). Energy Awareness Month is happening now and for the rest of October! There are so many different ways to take action either on a college campus, through an organization or taking steps your self to conserve and use [...]
