Washington, D.C., is the most energy-efficient major city in PJM, followed by Philadelphia and Chicago, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Boston took the top spot in ACEEE’s inaugural City Energy Efficiency Scorecard, receiving 77 of a possible 100 score.
Washington, D.C. (#7 nationally), Chicago (9) and Philadelphia (10) ranked in the second tier, receiving more than half of possible points. Philadelphia was among the top-scoring cities on community-wide initiatives, with efficiency targets, systems to track progress, strategies for mitigating urban heat islands, and use of distributed-energy systems. Philadelphia also scored high for transportation policies, along with Washington.
More: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Worst 100 Polluters Equal Half of Power Sector CO2
The 100 most-polluting U.S. power plants are responsible for about half of all power-sector carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new study. Forty-four of the worst 100 polluters are in PJM states, nearly three-quarters of them in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
More: Environment America Research & Policy Center
Smart Meter Penetration Reaches 40%
Nearly 40% of U.S. households had smart meters as of July, up from about 33% a year earlier. “The era of pilots is a distant memory,” the Edison Foundation’s Institute for Electric Efficiency concludes in a new report. “The current focus is … on integrating and optimizing information gathered by smart meters and other investments that form the digital grid.”
More: Institute for Electric Efficiency
Funding Battle Knocks Efficiency Bill off Senate Floor
Bipartisan energy efficiency legislation that has stalled in the Senate may be shoved aside completely this week by debate on a funding bill, leaving the fate of the energy measure highly uncertain. The bill has become ensnared in battles over ObamaCare and other topics.
More: The Hill
Methane Leaks Lower Than Expected from Well Completions: Study
Methane emissions from fracking well completions are lower than previously estimated while emissions from pneumatic controllers and equipment leaks are higher than Environmental Protection Agency projections, according to a new study. The study, funded by industry and the Environmental Defense Fund, concluded that total emissions from natural gas production are about what EPA has estimated.
Researchers took measurements at 489 wells nationwide, about one-tenth of 1% of all the natural gas wells in the U.S. Some observers said the study may understate total emissions because high-emitting sites, although rare, can cause disproportionate releases.
More: Associated Press
