By Adam Riedel U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu has consistently touted the benefits of white or reflective roofs and "cool pavements" (white or lightly colored pavements) in combating climate change, and has even mandated that all new roofs on Energy Department buildings be either...
By J. Cullen Howe, Environmental Law Specialist, Arnold & Porter LLP On December 2, 2011, President Barack Obama directed federal agencies to enter into at least $2 billion worth of contracts over the next two years to improve government buildings' energy efficiency. According to a Presidential...
By J. Cullen Howe, Environmental Law Specialist, Arnold & Porter LLP Zoning laws can sometimes make it more difficult for building owners to construct new green buildings or make existing ones more energy efficient. The New York City Department of City Planning has attempted to address this issue...
By J. Cullen Howe, Environmental Law Specialist, Arnold & Porter LLP On February 2, 2012, the Urban Green Council released a report finding that New York City is on track to meet its goal of lowering carbon emissions, energy consumption, and waste by following recommendations of the Green Codes...
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released its most recent "Monthly Energy Review" on March 28, 2012. The Monthly Energy Review is the U.S. Energy Information Administration's primary report of recent and historical energy statistics. Included are statistics on total energy production...
Is it possible to efficiently harness the often dim and indirect light found inside a room (e.g., from incandescent bulbs, fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs, and light emitting diodes). The answer would now appear to be "yes." A Walsh firm claims to have taken the efficiency of...
ENERGY: The OHIO House and Senate approve SB 315, which requires greater disclosure of chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, process to extract natural gas from underground shale deposits. The measure also requires water sampling within 1,500 feet of proposed water wells, mandates...
By Svend Brandt-Erichsen, Partner, Marten Law PLLC In this Emerging Issues Analysis, Svend Brandt-Erichsen of Marten Law PLLC discusses EPA's new standards for hazardous air emissions from boilers and process heaters, commonly referred to as "Boiler MACT." Many industrial facilities...
By Marc Karell, P.E., CEM, EBCP Climate Change & Environmental Services, LLC There is a methodology to reliably and inexpensively reduce energy costs. What is this? Retrocommissioning , the process of reviewing the operations of the existing energy systems of your buildings and optimizing them...
By Marc Karell, P.E., CEM, Climate Change & Environmental Services, LLC In September of 2013, HA Industries of Oregon, IL, a manufacturer of coatings and resin-coated sands, settled charges that it violated the Clean Air Act. No big deal here. This happens all the time. Like many such settlements...