This week in buildings, land and industry decarbonization news, NetZero’s Hugh Morley has the details on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approving $3.4 million in grants for municipalities to cut emissions from their operations. The funds will go to retrofitting municipal buildings, electrifying police cars and other investments.

Xcel Energy is working on its clean heat plan in Colorado, with the gas and electric utility, spending $440 million to encourage efficiency and electrification of its gas customers, with Canary Media reporting on the plan’s implementation. Regulators approved the plan in May and the utility expects its efforts will cut demand for gas in its footprint by 14% by 2028. 

Vermont also is considering a new clean heat plan, and the VT Digger reported a major issue is how much the plan will cost. The plan was passed by the legislature, over the veto of Gov. Phil Scott (R), but the bill left the details up to the PUC and other state agencies. The program would run on credits with businesses that bring heating fuels into Vermont having to offset the emissions of those with credits, which they can earn by installing clean alternatives like heat pumps, or just pay for. 

The Department of Energy recently finalized a new energy efficiency standard for stoves, over conservative opposition. E&E News by Politico has the story. The rule technically was final in February, but the process DOE used could have allowed it to withdraw the rule Aug. 12, but it declined to do so despite opposition from conservatives. 

DOE also is working on the energy efficiency of semiconductors, which Clean Technica reported on. The Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office issued a request for information on how to make semiconductor applications up to 1,000 times more energy efficient in 20 years. Semiconductors are used in computing, solar panels and many other important applications. Their energy use has been climbing, doubling every three years since 2010. The RFI asks for input from industry, academia, research labs, government agencies and others on how to improve their efficiency, especially for computing applications. 

Read all that and more in this week’s intelligence report: