CLEVELAND, Ohio - As part of the Administration’s effort to cut energy waste in the nation’s buildings, the Energy Department is recognizing its Cleveland area partners for their leadership in saving energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions today. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, Cleveland area partners including the city of Cleveland, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the Cuyahoga Housing Authority and Forest City Enterprises have committed to reducing their energy use by 20 percent across their entire building portfolios over the next decade. By making energy efficiency upgrades to facilities across the city and demonstrating practices that can be replicated in the future, these partners are helping to save money and energy, while also making the city more sustainable for future generations. “Better Buildings Challenge partners in Cleveland are demonstrating that reducing a building’s energy waste and greenhouse gas emissions offer tangible benefits to help save money by saving energy and protect...

March 23, 2015 After increasing for 15 consecutive weeks, crude oil storage at Cushing, Oklahoma, reached 54.4 million barrels on March 13, according to EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report . This volume is the highest on record, but not the highest percent of storage utilization, as working storage capacity at Cushing has also increased over time. Storage levels at Cushing are significant, because Cushing serves as the delivery point for the United States crude oil benchmark , West Texas Intermediate. Sited in central Oklahoma, Cushing is home to both a network of crude oil pipelines and storage capacity. The 70.8 million barrels of storage capacity in Cushing represent more than 60% of all crude oil working storage capacity in the Midwest (as defined by Petroleum Administration for Defense District 2) and about 19% of all commercial crude oil storage in the United States. Although inventory levels at Cushing are at their...

The name of the law is not the Coal Industry Protection Act, despite what that industry’s advocates seem to want. Original link Original author: THE

The San Fernando Valley will play host to CicLAvia, a day when roads will be free of motorized vehicles and open to those on bikes, on foot, and in strollers. Original link Original author: MATT

March 20, 2015 After reaching record levels in 2013 , United States imports of biomass-based diesel fuel (both biodiesel and renewable diesel) fell 36%, to 333 million gallons in 2014. Uncertainty surrounding future Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) targets and the absence of a late-year influx of volumes from Argentina were two main factors in this decline. The strongest drivers of the resurgence in U.S. biomass-based diesel demand since 2012 have been increasing RFS targets and the on-again, off-again biodiesel tax credit. Biodiesel and renewable diesel are valuable because they qualify for the two major renewable fuel programs in the United States: the RFS applied at the national level, and California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). Biomass-based diesel fuels have additional advantages over other renewable fuels because of their relatively high energy content and low carbon intensity, which allow them to qualify for higher credit values in both renewable fuel programs. Both...

The executive order represents the latest use of presidential power to address climate change as Congress resists passing legislation. Original link Original author: JULIE

Senator Mitch McConnell has begun an aggressive campaign to block President Obama’s climate agenda in statehouses and courtrooms, arenas far beyond his official authority. Original link Original author: CORAL

The Energy Department today announced up to $20 million in available funding to spur the development of high speed industrial motors and drives, using high power-density designs and integrated power electronics to increase efficiency. The industrial sector consumes over a quarter of the electricity produced in the United States and is projected to increase its use by approximately 30% by 2040. Replacing less efficient systems that have fixed-speed motors and gearboxes with variable-speed direct-drive motor systems and incorporating recent power electronics advances, such as wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, could help industry save on energy costs and improve their competitiveness. WBG components—which control or convert electrical energy into usable power—can operate at higher temperatures, voltages, and frequencies, and are more durable and reliable than silicon-based counterparts. In fact, widely deploying these WBG system electronics could save 2% to 4% in industry's electricity consumption and billions of dollars. The Energy Department plans to...

March 19, 2015 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Petroleum and Other Liquids and Short-Term Energy Outlook Note: U.S. crude oil inventories exclude Strategic Petroleum Reserves. December 2014 to February 2015 are estimates. With lower U.S. refinery runs and increases in domestic crude oil production, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories at the end of February provided the most days of supply since the mid-1980s. Commercial crude inventories were sufficient to supply 29 days of U.S. refinery demand, based on expected refinery runs in March. The number of days of supply is calculated by dividing the commercial crude oil inventory level at the end of the month by the forecast crude oil refinery runs in the following month. This calculation excludes government-held inventories such as the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The days-of-supply calculation is an indicator of how loose or tight oil markets are by showing the number of days current...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that 11 tribal communities will receive nearly $6 million to accelerate the implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies on tribal lands. As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to partner with Tribal Nations, these projects provide Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages clean energy options that will reduce fossil fuel use and save money. With tribal renewable energy resources comprising approximately five percent of all U.S. renewable energy resources, these facility- and community-scale projects support national energy goals to strengthen tribal energy self-sufficiency, create jobs and further economic development. The projects represent a total investment value of $13.5 million. The department’s funding is expected to be leveraged by nearly $7.5 million in cost share by the selected Indian Tribes. “The Energy Department is committed to helping Native American tribes develop clean, affordable and reliable energy options,” said Kathleen Hogan,...