Good morning, and welcome to NetZero Insider’s latest Intelligence Report on Land, Buildings and Industry.

We start with a look at the U.S. Department of Energy’s release a month ago of an official National Definition of a Zero Emissions Building, the first of its kind. 

• Archinect has a piece that states the attempt to establish a common standard is a worthwhile and timely effort, but the result falls short, as it presents a weak definition with loopholes, omissions and no consideration of embodied carbon. 

• FacilitiesNet gives a more favorable reception to the new standard, quoting praise from ASHRAE and the U.S. Green Building Council. 

We also have stories on government programs promoting efficiency: 

• Ohio officials are seeking input from state residents on the design and implementation of the new Ohio Home Energy Savings Program, which in part will fund discounts for high-efficiency appliances and energy-efficiency improvements to homes, WTVG reports. 

• The D.C. Public Service Commission has launched its Summer Ready DC campaign, which aims to help manage residents’ utility bills through steps including weatherization and energy efficiency, The Washington Informer writes. 

And on the industrial side, we have reports about two major draws on the electric grid: aluminum production and artificial intelligence data centers. Reducing the associated greenhouse gas emissions is presented as a significant undertaking for one and a non-issue for the other: 

• Canary Media has a piece looking at the details of slashing emissions from production of aluminum, a critical material for manufacturing but a major source of planet-warming pollutants. The solution could entail a mix of power grid decarbonization and carbon-free production processes, neither of which are expected to be ready in the near term. 

• TechSpot quotes Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates saying that concerns about the massive power demands of AI systems are off base, because AI will reduce global energy use and increase grid efficiency, offsetting all the power that data centers will consume. 

Thanks for reading this week’s Intelligence Report: