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Government Affairs Update - October 2023

U.S. Senate Recognizes Energy Efficiency Day 2023

The U.S. Senate recognized October 4 as Energy Efficiency Day, passing a bipartisan resolution (S.Res.404) by unanimous consent. The legislation was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and officially designates and recognizes October 4, 2023, as "Energy Efficiency Day" in celebration of the economic and environmental benefits that have been driven by private sector innovation and Federal energy efficiency policies.

IEA Report: Limiting Global Warming to 1.5 Degrees Remains Possible

The International Energy Association’s newest update to their Net Zero Roadmap argues that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius remains possible due to fast growth of clean energy technologies. This update to the IEA’s seminal 2021 report accounts for changes to the global energy landscape in the last two years: record growth in solar power, electric car sales, and other clean energy innovations feature prominently as variables that are cause for hope that we can meet our warming goals, according to the IEA. The report update also calls for substantial future action: global production of renewable energy must triple by 2030 in order to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Stronger international cooperation in order to limit warming is also stressed by the report, as well as the unproven nature of carbon capture technology.

U.S. DOE Developing Definition of a “Zero-Emission Building”  

The Federal Government is developing a definition of a “zero-emission building,” according to several news outlets. The standard will not be legally binding, but it is intended to provide consistency across states. ASHRAE has already developed Standard 228, Standard Method of Evaluating Zero Net Energy and Zero Net Carbon Building Performance, which sets requirements for evaluating whether a building or group of buildings meets a definition of “zero net energy” or “zero net carbon.” The DOE is expected to release a draft of the definition later this year.

DOE Issues Guidance on Energy Efficiency Rebates for Homeowners

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued clarifying guidance for its $9 billion program to incentivize energy efficiency upgrades in homes. The program is funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and will provide states with the opportunity to set up rebate programs for innovative efficiency and electrification programs. Notably, the new guidance will allow states to retroactively award rebates to homeowners who have retrofitted their homes since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on August 16, 2022. This change will allow homeowners to benefit from the program while states establish a more permanent approach to distributing the rebates. The new guidance can be viewed here.

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