Efficiency & Demand Response: Page 3

Funding for cutting-edge energy projects has slowed since the Obama administration, but DOE still used Earth Day to highlight new collaborations at the national labs. 

The program will run during summer months until 2020 and allows enrollment in addition to existing PJM programs. 

Advanced Microgrid Solutions will put batteries at 27 of the retail giant's locations, helping reduce peak demand and providing grid services to Southern California Edison. 

Maryland utilities will need to reduce electricity usage 2% annually by 2020, after Gov. Larry Hogan declined to veto a bill to expand energy efficiency goals.

A combination of demand management strategies save the state $10 billion over a decade by avoiding investment in new infrastructure, according to Advanced Energy Economy.

The six-state, $3.5 billion plan also predicts efficiency will offset 88% of forecasted demand growth over the next decade.

Spending on demand side management programs in the United States and Canada grew 1% in 2015, according to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency.

The agreement, which could begin next year, would target commercial and residential customers using both direct installations of smart thermostats and a bring-your-own-device approach. 

A dozen state and city governments informed the White House they will file a lawsuit unless the Department of Energy moves to finalize efficiency regulations covering commercial and consumer products.

The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced 65 bills last week, many of which were a part of last year's energy package that stalled in conference committee. 

A new report from the grid operator noted that more reliance on any single generation resource introduces resilience risks not accounted for under traditional reliability standards.

Lawmakers in both legislative chambers already approved a measure to extend the state's energy efficiency goals, directing utilities to reduce electricity usage 2% annually by 2020.

A study published in Nature finds energy savings as high as 30% for some efficiency programs in large buildings, but middle-sized and smaller C&I buildings are being left in the dust, researchers say.