Miscalculations In the Billions Baton Rouge, LA – Arriving four months late, the much anticipated cost / benefit analysis for Louisiana solar is finally here. The report’s conclusions were predicted last year when the consulting firm, Acadian Consulting, was hired. Acadian is a firm infamous for heavy bias towards utilities. Despite the biased report’s conclusions, […]
First Bloomberg, Now Forbes!
After an upsetting retraction of the Energy Efficiency rules last Wednesday, the nation has turned its attention to the State of Louisiana. The rest of the nation recognizes Louisiana’s need for energy efficiency. It’s time for us to get on board! http://www.businessweek.com http://www.forbes.com As the battle for the Energy Efficiency rules continues on, we’ve made tons of […]
Renewables Interactive Map from REN21
Check this out! The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century created this interactive map to track renewable energy developments across the world. How does your country stack up?
An Environmental Education
Bia Assevero is the Alliance’s Social Media consultant. I moved to New Orleans exactly – give or take 24 hours – a year ago. As I look back on the last twelve months, one of the first things that jumps out at me is how much knowledge I’ve gained about environmental and energy issues, not […]
Liquid Air Could Be Renewable Energy Storage Solution
Liquid air could work better than batteries or hydrogen for storing excess energy produced from wind turbines or other renewable energy sources during off-peak times, according to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. A company in the United Kingdom is testing how the liquid air method—originally developed to power vehicles—could help use some of this “wrong-time” energy. The method would […]
New Faces @ The Alliance
The Alliance has a new office manager. Ms. Jessica Netto brings 10 years of non-profit experience in fundraising and program administration.From her work as Development Director for Gulf Restoration Network, Program Administrator for Second Harvest Food Bank, and most recently as an independent fundraising consultant, Jessica is committed to the development of sustainable organizations by ensuring […]
Fast Five : Editorial Cartoons II
[slideshow]
Friday Fav: Amory Lovins for TedTalks
Energy theorist Amory Lovins lays out his ideas on how to end our dependence on oil.
Media Spotlight: Hurricane Isaac
In the Gulf hurricanes always seem to bring more than rain and wind and storm surges. They seem to always bring a lot of questions. Certainly, this is true in New Orleans where the aftermath of Isaac has lead to a lot of questions about just how well the lessons of Katrina have (or haven’t) […]
Lester Brown @Cambridge Forum
Lester Brown is one of the most well known environmental analysts in the world. Founder of the Worldwatch Institute and the Earth Policy Institue, Brown has been described by the Washington Post as ” one of the world’s most influential thinkers.” Brown has written a number of best selling books, including last year’s World on the […]
Louisiana Solar Leasing Report
On July 27th, 2012 the Alliance for Affordable Energy released its Louisiana Solar Leasing report. It was created to address customer complaints against two Louisiana solar companies, but more importantly to suggest to the Solar industry in general, that there needs to be a standardized check list of pertinent information available to their customers, and that the solar companies in Louisiana should provide this information as a stewardship of good business practices. As a utility watchdog of Louisiana the Alliance for Affordable Energy supports good business […]
Media Spotlight: Solar Power
The global energy landscape is constantly changing and solar power is no exception to that rule. Here’s a brief selection of recent stories taken from media around the country and around the world. The Wall Street Journal reports on Solarworld, the latest German company to hit serious financial difficulties. The company’s stock price fell 11% […]
Fast Five: Global Warming Editorial Cartoons
[slideshow]
US & Canada: Falling Gas Prices & A Common Fate
When it comes to natural gas, the United States and Canada are heavily linked. The extensive physical pipeline that exists between the two countries has tied their fortunes together. Gas prices in the U.S. have fallen hard and fast and the impacts are being felt in Canada too. In this video, John Kingston, the Director […]
Going Greener with Attic Insulation
Insulating your attic is one of the best ways to save money on your cooling and heating. Here is a break down of some greener options when choosing insulation material for your attic . . . Cellulose: If you want to go green, try cellulose insulation. Typically composed of 85 percent recycled newspaper and 15 […]
OMG That’s a lot of Money: Investment Trends in Renewables
The United Nations Environmental Program published a report this year that explains investment trends in renewable energy. As outlined in the graph, $257 billion dollars was invested in renewable energy in 2011, a growth of 17% from 2010. In just 7 years, from 2004 to 2011, investment in renewable power and fuel has seen a […]
Friday Fav: Severn Suzuki
To finish up our week looking at Rio+20, we’re taking something of a then and now approach. In 1992 at the first Rio summit, Severn Suzuki, who was 11 years old at the time, addressed UN delegates. She became known as the “girl who silenced the world for six minutes.” Now, 20 years on, Suzuki […]
Rio +20 According to Twitter
Last week, the Rio+20 environmental summit was held in Brazil. Here’s a selection of what Twitter users had to say about it. This is Rio Minus 20 which Fails on equity, fails on ecology,Fails on economy #rio+20 #earthsummit text longest suicide note in history – @kuminaidoo one thing that’s definitely working at rio+20: the air-conditioning. if it were this […]
Rio +20: Slideshow
[slideshow]
The Alliance’s A-Z: C
The letter C is working double time in this A-Z and it stands for carbon credit. A carbon credit is something that can be purchased in order to offset an individual or organization’s carbon footprint. So if you emit 100 pounds of carbon dioxide you can purchase 100 pounds worth of carbon credits. The money […]
Around The World with Solar Power
Earlier this month a catamaran made its way around the world and it made the trip using only solar power. It’s the first time that’s ever been done! The record breaking circumnavigation took 19 months and featured pit stops in 28 different countries. The five man crew took advantage of each port of call to promote […]
Eco- Music
They say that music is the universal language and since climate change is definitely a universal problem, it’s no surprise that it has inspired musicians both professional and amateur a like. Here are five songs that we’ve sounded out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJzNo6EepdY This last song isn’t really about climate change but it’s a classic song that […]
Interns @ Live Earth Expo
The New Orleans Healing Center played host to the Live Earth Expo this weekend. The Alliance set up a table to display radiant barrier installation and talk to visitors about advocating for solar tax credits. Thomas Santos and Andrew Schwenk are two the interns who helped get the Alliance’s message across. [slideshow] Below, one of […]
Carbon Diet Challenge: Part One
Wanna win a pair of free tickets to this Thursday’s Hornet’s game against the Houston Rockets? Then leave your most extreme and creative ideas for saving energy in the comments. Extra points if your method is has been tried and tested by you or someone you know. Extra extra points if you send us […]
Dial Into Act 504
You may or may not be aware that Louisiana Act 504 took effect last year, marking a momentous occasion for advocates of energy efficiency. The legislation requires property appraisers to incorporate energy efficiency measures into the assessment of a property’s value. In other words,not only do you save money by making energy efficient changes to […]
The Case For Investing In Solar
Jon Scott is the Volunteer Coordinator and AmeriCorps/Vista for the Alliance for Affordable Energy. As an AmeriCorps/Vista volunteer who has always supported the move towards alternative energy solutions in the US and around the world, I’m looking forward to working with the Alliance For Affordable Energy as they continue to work towards fair, affordable, and […]
LPSC Unanimously Votes for Energy Planning Rule
Integrated Resource Planning Good for Louisiana Bill-payers Baton Rouge, LA – Today the Louisiana Public Service Commission unanimously voted to adopt Integrated Resource Planning rules. Integrated resource planning directs the utilities in the state to plan for how to meet energy demand over the next 20 years and requires them to consider least-cost options like […]
Media Spotlight: The BP Oil Spill Settlement
A lot has been written since the announcement of BP’s $7.8 billion dollar settlement with the major plaintiffs in the Deepwater Horizon case. As with any major news story, particularly one that has a had so many developments over the last two years, there are many angles to consider. This spotlight focuses on the indirect elements and […]
The Alliance’s A – Z: A
Understanding energy efficiency and the making of responsible energy policy can often be daunting. There are so many terms and acronyms and organizations that it can be hard to get a handle on all of them or why understanding it all matters one way or the other. In this series of 26 posts, we’re going to […]
Media Spotlight: Recycling
Recycling is one of the basics of an environmentally responsible lifestyle but it’s not always as simple as it should be. Some residents of Jackson, MS, got a rude awakening recently when they found out where exactly their recycling was ending up. Local news station WLOX ran this story, exposing one recycling company’s bad practice. […]
Be Smart Energy Tips: Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping is one of the easiest improvements you can make to your home to improve its energy efficiency. It’s also one of the cheapest because you can do it yourself. Air leakage in your home is the quickest sure fire way to have your energy bill go through the roof; you spend money heating the cold […]
Media Spotlight: Climate Change
Ironically, given that it affects everyone, climate change has become one of the most polarizing issues of our time. The conflicts range from what it is, what to call it, who’s fault it is and how to fix it. In this article, originally published in the Washington Post, Maxwell Boykoff talks about how politicians have […]
Compact Fluorescent Lighting
You can save more than $50 dollars per light fixture by installing compact fluorescent lights instead of regular incandescent bulbs. The use of these lightbulbs is one of the easiest energy saving measures that you can take to make your home more energy efficient. These bulbs are slightly more expensive to purchase but they more […]
(Open) Round Table: Energy Efficiency & The Alliance For Affordable Energy
We celebrated our founders this past Saturday at a 25th anniversary Gala. While everyone was having a good time, we decided to take a minute and ask people what energy efficiency and the Alliance’s mission mean to them. Here’s what some of our guests had to say. Lela Claude Neff: There’s the obvious, that they’re helping […]
Friday Fav: Lynne Cherry & Young Voices For The Planet
Lynn Cherry is behind the series of short films Young Voices for the Planet. She’s an author and illustrator and the kids she’s made films about are young, inspired and determined to do their part in securing the future of the planet that they will inherit. We’ve chosen to feature the video below because of […]
Media Spotlight: Clean Energy
The Louisiana Public Service Commission adopted a Renewable Energy Pilot Program in the middle of 2010 to test out the feasibility of having a renewable portfolio standard in place that would oblige utilities to source a fixed percentage of their power from renewable energy sources. With the pressure to shift towards renewable energy comes innovation […]
Friday Fav: Life In A Day
On July 24, 2010, thousands of people all over the world uploaded videos to YouTube as part of “Life In A Day”, a cinematic experiment driven by critically acclaimed director, Ridley Scott. After it’s cinematic release, the film is now available free of charge on YouTube. You can watch the film in its entirety here. […]
Flashback: The Louisiana Green Corps
The Alliance was one of the founding organizations of the Louisiana Green Corps. Together with Arc of Greater New Orleans, the Old City Building Center, Mary Queen of Vietnam CDC, and the Sierra Club, LGC set out to help empower young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, by teaching them life skills, helping them develop […]
Be Smart Energy Tips: Solar Water Heater
Looking for ways to make your home more energy efficient? The Alliance is a big supporter of Energy Smart, the program run by the New Orleans City Council to make energy efficiency even more appealing to the community. Among the different ways that Energy Smart can help you save energy (and money!) is with their […]
Round Table: A Young People’s Perspective
For our very first Round Table, we sat down to chat with three of our legal interns and get their opinions on the environmental issues of the day. Justin Shlensky is a Chicago native and his classmates at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, Linya Chen and Wenqi Zhao both hail from Beijing. The three of […]
Five Questions With: Casey DeMoss Roberts
Casey DeMoss Roberts is the Executive Director of The Alliance For Affordable Energy. In addition to her past work with the U.S. Peace Corps and the Gulf Restoration Network, Casey holds a Masters in Public Health from Tulane University. As the Alliance celebrates the end of its 25th year, Casey is focused on ensuring that […]
