This week in buildings, land and industry decarbonization news, NetZero Insider’s K Kauffman covered the International Energy Agency’s look at how global energy demand and production played out in 2024. Data centers might be the story for demand growth in the U.S., but the international agency reported air conditioning drove a 4.3% increase in global demand. Record high temperatures drove a 6% increase in cooling degree days.

Inside Climate News did a deep dive on FERC’s enforcement action and subsequent litigation around the North Carolina-based firm American Efficient. Between fines and disgorgement, FERC is seeking nearly $1 billion from the firm for alleged fraud around its energy efficiency offerings. The firm denies the allegations and is fighting them in court. Its lawsuit goes beyond normal arguments around FERC’s enforcement power to attack the constitutional underpinnings of the agency. One of its lawyers is former FERC Commissioner Suedeen Kelly, who was a Democrat appointee under former President George W. Bush. The firm’s attacks include going against the precedent of Humphrey’s Executor, which protects FERC appointees and those of other bipartisan, independent regulatory commissions from being fired unless it is for cause. Some of President Trump’s firings from other agencies since he took office are likely to put that precedent to the test in higher courts before the American Efficient case. 

Canary Media has a story on the importance of decarbonizing buildings when addressing climate change requires dealing with many sectors. Buildings account for one third of global carbon pollution and they require more efficiency, demand flexibility, and clean heating and cooling options to cut the 12.3 gigatons of CO2 they produce annually. The challenge is massive, but the technologies and policies to get it done are well known. 

GvWire wrote about a report from California’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee urging the PUC to step up oversight of the three big utilities’ efficiency programs. The report reviewed the programs by Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison from 2012 to 2020. It found the portfolios did not achieve their goals and rarely were cost effective. The commission agreed with most of the probe’s suggestions and pledged to work on reforms with three IOUs. 

Read more stories in this week’s intelligence report: