Energy Efficiency | Page 171

Miller County, Arkansas is almost done with making its five main government office buildings more energy-efficient through measures like heating, lighting, cooling and other improvements.

U.S. President Joseph R. Biden fulfilled his promise to rejoin the Paris Agreement on his first day in office. One of 15 executive actions signed from the Oval Office on January 20, the action signals a major policy reversal following four years during which the Trump administration rejected climate science and rolled back environmental regulation to maximize fossil fuel development.

The decision by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to veto landmark climate legislation is extremely disappointing and a step in the wrong direction for Massachusetts’ ability to mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis, according to this column from Ceres. The organization is calling on state legislators to reintroduce this legislation immediately, noting that the Commonwealth cannot afford to delay the transition to a net-zero emissions future that is already underway.

Kansas City Southern, a transportation holding company, announced on Jan. 19 that it has submitted a commitment letter to the science-based targets initiative (SBTi) pledging to establish greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

The United States Air Force announced on Jan. 14 that it began construction on an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) including a combined heat and power plant with microgrid controls to improve energy resilience and enhance mission readiness at its Yokota Air Base outside of Tokyo, Japan.

The Western Maryland Railway Station in Cumberland, Maryland, built in 1913, went through various transformations before its current use for offices, a museum, and retail shops. This column from Better Buildings shows how a comprehensive building upgrade resulted in a 21 percent annual energy savings.

Uber announced on Jan. 12 that it is expanding on four key initiatives announced in September 2020 in order to more aggressively tackle climate change.

Amgen, a manufacturer of human therapeutics, announced on Jan. 11 the launch of a new seven-year environmental sustainability plan, which includes a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality while also reducing water use by 40% and waste disposed of by 75%

General Motors announced on Jan. 12 its new business, BrightDrop, which will offer an integrated ecosystem of electric first-to-last-mile products, software, and services to empower delivery and logistics companies to move goods more efficiently.

The Curtis Institute of Music is kicking off a three-year project to make energy-efficiency investments in its Philadelphia facilities through an agreement with The Efficiency Network (TEN).