|
This week in buildings, land use and industry decarbonization news, Bloomberg Law took a look at how the incoming Trump administration is expected to slow down the implementation of energy efficiency rules. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act gives the Department of Energy the authority to approve new efficiency standards for consumer products, but the last time Donald Trump was president, the department was much less active on efficiency standards. The law includes provisions that would stop DOE from repealing Biden-era standards on its own.
POLITICO’s Energy Wire has a story on some standards that the Trump administration would be able to turn back, which involve a carveout for dishwashers and clothes dryers that run shorter-than-normal cycles.
In industrial decarbonization news, Energy News Network covered the results of some research finding that lasers could help cut emissions from paper mills. Worcester Polytechnic Institute got a $2.75 million grant from DOE to study whether drying paper products in the manufacturing is feasible with lasers, which could lead to cleaner production. Paper mills are responsible for 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year in nearby Maine, which represents half of the state’s emissions.
Inside Climate News has a story about a U.N. warning that fertilizers have to be deployed more efficiently to protect the ozone layer and slow global warming. Fertilizers produce nitrous oxide, a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. Global climate targets call for keeping the rise in global average temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius, and the report said no feasible path to that exist without addressing nitrous oxide.
Read other stories in this week’s Intelligence Report:
|
|
|
|
Agriculture
U.S.
The Biden administration's signature program for tackling climate change through agriculture could be upended next year. Greenwire
U.S.
Sheep graze below panels sprouting where crops once grew. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
International
The report, published by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, Environment Programme and Climate and Clean Air Coalition, is the first global assessment of nitrous oxide emissions since 2013. Inside Climate News
Return to Top |
|
Building Decarbonization
California
In a split vote, the Los Gatos Town Council approved the eventual repeal of parts of the town's building and fire code that required most appliances in new buildings to be fully electric. SiliconValley
Nebraska
An effort to update the City of Omaha's electrical code, typically not a huge headline-maker, has sparked a bit of fireworks and divided the lawmaking body of Nebraska's largest city. Nebraska Examiner
U.S.
The incoming Trump administration will likely try to reinstate laxer efficiency rules for dishwashers and clothes dryers that run shorter-than-standard cycles. Energywire
Energy Efficiency
International
UK leads IEA report in terms of improvement, but that is due to warm weather and manufacturing base declines. The Telegraph
U.S.
DOE is expected to slow down the development of energy efficiency rules once Trump takes office. Bloomberg Law
U.S.
Building operators using IRA tax incentives "will be talking with their senators and representatives to express the need to keep these in place," a U.S. Green Building Council official said. Utility Dive
Space Cooling & Heating
California
In addition to saving money on energy bills and increasing energy efficiency, the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve indoor air quality. California Governor's Office
Texas
The state should focus on deploying heat pumps in homes that currently use inefficient electric resistance heaters, say authors of a paper from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Smart Cities Dive
U.S.
Some cold climate heat pumps can be more than 100 percent efficient even in subzero temperatures. The Washington Post
Return to Top |
|
Industrial Decarbonization
International
All major aluminium producers have set ambitious net zero decarbonisation targets from 2050 onwards but made only a modest reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the past five years. ING
International
While it may be a key component in much clean-energy equipment, its production is highly energy intensive and accounts for around 3% of global emissions. ING
International
Producing aluminium from raw materials requires more energy than any other industrial manufacturing method. ING
Maine
Researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute are testing a new industrial drying technique that uses lasers instead of gas furnaces to dry paper, pulp, and other materials. Energy News Network
U.S.
Question marks remain over SMR technology, despite its massive potential. Datacenter Dynamics
U.S.
A federal program that aims to clean up 33 industrial facilities, from steel mills to snack plants, could face big cuts in Trump's second term. Canary Media
U.S.
Energy storage systems provider Redoxblox has raised $30 million in Series A funding, bringing the company's total Series A funding round to $40.7 million, company executives said last month. San Diego Business Journal
U.S.
Putting aside whether AI is mature enough to be feeding it with astronomical amounts of our energy supplies, powering it with renewable energy is critical for our energy future and safety, writes Mothers for Peace board member Linda Parks. The Hill
Virginia
Va. policymakers and Google meet in Richmond to discuss future of the sector in state and its impact on grownig demand for power. Virginia Mercury
Return to Top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2024 RTO Insider LLC, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
RTO Insider LLC, 2415 Boston Street, Baltimore, MD 21224-4733, United States
You are receiving this message, the NetZero Insider Weekly Intelligence Report on Land, Buildings and Industry, as part of your paid subscription. You can set your email delivery preferences here - and change them any time you want. Note: if you're not logged in, do so and then click "My Account" in the top-right corner and scroll down to the "Requested Emails" section.
Unsubscribe
|
|
|
|
|
Share
Tweet
Share
Forward