Expert Columns
August 17, 2020 - By Debra Chanil, Smart Energy Decisions
Sustainability Programs During COVID-19: There’s a will… but is there a way?
As the energy industry faces the continuing shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s becoming clear that organizations want to hold firm to their sustainability strategies, even as budget uncertainty and competing priorities may get in the way. Smart Energy Decisions, in partnership with BloombergNEF, fielded a survey among energy executives to measure the current impact of COVID-10 on a series of sustainability factors as well as what they anticipate the impact to be as we move through re-openings and economic recovery.
More
August 7, 2020 - By Nexamp
Bringing Sustainability & Savings to Albany Medical Center
Hospitals everywhere are finding that budgets are very tight, which means they need to explore every opportunity to reduce operating costs. This column from Nexamp shows how Albany Medical Center jumped at the opportunity to join a nearby community solar farm to realize savings and support local renewable energy resources.
More
Demand Management - August 5, 2020 - By Jake Duncan, IMT
Stronger Together: Systemic Efficiency through Demand Management
Most conversations around clean energy are focused on what type of energy we are using, but to fully decarbonize our economy, we also need to address when energy is used. In this column from IMT - the third in a series - Jake Duncan explains that by purposefully managing energy usage, we can better match the demand for power with the availability of clean energy.
More
Energy Efficiency - July 17, 2020 - By Andrew Schaap, Aligned
Now Is the Time for Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Data Centers
As we begin to look back on the historic acceleration of telework, distance learning, and the digitalization of business and government caused by COVID-19, it’s clear that we have been afforded a glimpse into the future. In this column, Andrew Schaap, CEO of Aligned, a data center solutions company, explains that there has never been a stronger case, nor a more urgent time, for designing and building energy-efficient and sustainable data center infrastructure.
More
GHG Emissions - July 13, 2020 - By Better Buildings
IHG'S Green Engage Program
InterContinental Hotels Group, a member of the US Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, created the IHG Green Engage system, a comprehensive online sustainability management system that allows hotels to track, measure, and report on their carbon footprint and utility consumption.
More
Sourcing Renewables - July 1, 2020 - By Jake Duncan, IMT
Stronger Together: Optimizing Renewable Energy
The momentum behind the renewable energy transition is unstoppable. To date, 162 local governments, 13 states and the District of Columbia, and 229 global companies have committed to 100% renewable energy. In this column from IMT's "Stronger Together" series, Jake Duncan explores how efficiency and demand management can smooth over some of the challenges of the renewable energy transition so that we can power an electrified society quickly and cost-effectively.
More
Sourcing Renewables - June 29, 2020 - By Caitlin Marquis, Advanced Energy Economy
What COVID Means for Energy Goals and Sustainability Efforts, Today and Tomorrow
As companies adjust to a new normal during COVID-19, sustainability teams face their own challenge: assessing whether and how the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout will affect progress toward their company’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals. In this column, Caitlin Marquis of Advance Energy Economy outlines how conditions are affecting the energy industry, how regulators and lawmakers are responding, and what to watch for in the months ahead.
More
June 19, 2020 - By John Failla, Smart Energy Decisions
Inspiring Diversity in Energy
The energy industry has a diversity problem. In October 2019, the Wall Street Journal cited the energy industry as 10th out of 11 industries measured. In this column, Smart Energy Decisions' Founder & Editorial Director John Failla says, let’s work together to address the problem.
More
Energy Efficiency - May 22, 2020 - By Jake Duncan, IMT
Stronger Together: Why Efficiency with Electrification Catalyzes Systems Change
In the late-2010s, the “electrify everything” movement emerged as a long-term solution to the ever-growing carbon emissions of the U.S. However, electrification as a decarbonizing strategy depends on using renewable power for new electric devices. In this column from IMT - the second in their "Stronger Together" series, Jake Duncan explores why energy efficiency is crucial to electrification.
More
Utilities - May 13, 2020
Synchronizing the Electric Regulatory Response to COVID-19
The COVID-19 crisis is influencing every aspect of the global economy, and electric utilities are certainly seeing significant impacts. This column from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) warns that before utility regulators take actions to adjust revenues or rates to reflect COVID-19 impacts, it is important to identify and quantify the broad range of impacts so that those that increase costs or reduce sales can be appropriately offset against those that decrease costs or cause increased sales in some sectors.
More
Stay Up-To-Date
