In This Newsletter:
- SPEER Workshop Recap (above)
- National Energy Efficiency Day: Wednesday, October 5th
- Policy Updates
- Call for Subject Matter
- Existing Building Decarbonization Code
- Funding Opportunities
- SPEER Resources
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Here is your reminder that Energy Efficiency Day is TOMORROW, October 5th! We are all witnessing extreme weather: record temperatures, floods, droughts, and high energy bills, which is why this year's Energy Efficiency Day (EEDay) is so important. Energy efficiency is a critical solution to reduce energy use & energy costs for consumers, as well as our reliance on fuel imports.
Congratulations to the City of Dallas for being the first Texas entity to issue an Energy Efficiency Day Proclamation for 2022! Since then, both Travis County and Harris County have issued EEDay proclamations. There is so much untapped potential for energy savings through increased efficiency. Much of the stress on our aging grid and infrastructure can be reduced simply with energy efficiency while also lowering energy bills and putting money back into the pockets of Americans. Curious how you can show your support for efficiency? Get your elected officials to issue an Energy Efficiency Day Proclamation and over to the EEday toolkit page.
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If you're wanting to celebrate by doing something impactful to decrease your home’s energy use and carbon emissions while saving money in the process, consider replacing your next air conditioner with a heat pump. With the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the rebates and tax incentives included in it, more and more homeowners should give thought to a heat pump, especially when their AC is at the end of its useful life. Browse recent Energy Efficiency Day blogs for tips to save energy + money, benefits of regularly updated codes, efficient summer travel with electric vehicles, and more.
Don't forget to follow SPEER and Energy Efficiency Day on Twitter throughout the day tomorrow for more tips, updates, and a fun hashtag game!
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Statewide: On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, the Public Utility Commission of Texas will hold its biannual public meeting for their Energy Efficiency Implementation Project. The meeting is open to the public and interested stakeholders and will be held from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room located on the 7th floor of the William B. Travis Building. The agenda will include a review of the statewide findings from the EM&V (evaluation, measurement, and verification) efforts, updates to the Technical Reference Manual 2023, and a stakeholder brainstorming session for potential amendments to the energy efficiency rules. For more information, please contact our State & Local Policy Manager, Noah Oaks, or see PUCT Docket 38578.
Austin: On September 29 the Austin City Council will consider authorizing a contract as part of a Resiliency-as-a-Service pilot program for an aggregate contracted capacity of up to 25 megawatts and an estimated annual contracted amount of $3.375M. For additional information please see Austin City Council Agenda page.
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Help AESP and its partners (us!) are launching a series of courses to equip energy efficiency and demand management professionals with grid-interactive energy technology content. To help AESP and DOE develop this new online learning series on ways to design and implement flexible demand offerings we are requesting your input to refine the course strategy. Please consider taking our survey.
We expect to release three series, each made up of 2-3 individual courses. Topics will include:
- Introduction to Demand Flexible Resources (Technology and Market Overview)
- Demand Flexibility Program Design
- Implementing Demand Flexible Loads (in Single Family Homes/Multi-Family Buildings/Small Commercial Facilities)
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Existing Building Decarbonization Code
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Did you know that the vast majority of buildings that we will use in the coming decades are already built and account for 39% of the carbon footprint? New Buildings Institute's Existing Building Decarbonization Code is an overlay to the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and covers residential and commercial retrofits, allowing jurisdictions to reduce carbon emissions and meet Climate Action Plan and public health and equity goals. The need to address existing building stock is great, with 5.9 million existing commercial buildings in the U.S. comprising 97 billion square feet. New construction represents less than 2% of building activity in any given year, leaving a vast amount of outdated technologies in the current building stock.
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Throughout the year, the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) announces various funding opportunities to support efficiency programs. Funding opportunities include Notice of Loan Fund Availability for the LoanSTAR program, Request for Applications for energy efficiency grants, and Requests for Proposals for qualified firms to contract with SECO on projects. Below is an upcoming opportunity:
Notice of Loan Fund Availability — 2021 IECC Energy Code Training
Posted September 27, 2022 - Request for proposals (RFP) are being accepted to conduct building energy code training workshops regarding the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the Energy Efficiency Chapter 11 of the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC). For further information and to download the RFP, visit TxSmartBuy. Proposals are due by October 21, 2022. Late applications will not be accepted.
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The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in partnership with World Resources Institute, is opening applications for three peer-learning cohorts for communities as part of a pilot initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program. C2C will provide communities with strategic and technical support; helpful materials, such as templates, trainings, tools, best practices, and analyses; and opportunities for collaboration with other communities across the United States facing similar challenges.
The pilot cohort topics include:
- Moving from idea to implementation: Starting on the pathway to 100% clean energy
- Accelerating the deployment of equitable, grid-friendly electric vehicle charging infrastructure
- Clean energy financing to expand access to low-income residents
The term community for C2C is broadly applied to include cities, towns, municipalities, or tribes that represent distinct jurisdictions. Local, regional, and tribal governments are invited to apply for one or more cohort topic areas.
More Details:
- Application Form . Application Deadline: November 1, 2022
- Cohorts Launch: January 2023
- Cohort Duration: 5–8 months, depending on topic area
For more information about the pilot programs, please see the background information document,
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- SPEER Programs + informational flyers
- Messaging guides
- Public Utility Commission of Texas Comment Template
- Heat pump resources
We have created a library of local government resolutions, energy plans & policy work, climate action plans, and resiliency initiatives. These documents are meant to be a resource and showcase the commitment made by local governments to create an equitable, safe, and economically stable future for Texas and Oklahoma citizens. head over to dive in and bookmark the page as we will continually be expanding and adding new material.
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