LANSING - The more conservative of the two chambers of Congress has approved legislation authorizing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which provides funds for various conservation and cleanup projects around the Great Lakes. The program has already seen some $1.6 billion in federal funds since 2010, but U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak), a co-sponsor
LANSING - A program designed to reduce heating and cooling costs for low-income residents by funding weatherization upgrades to their homes would see stable funding under a bill unanimously approved Wednesday by the House Appropriations Committee. HB 4544 would require, beginning with the current 2014-15 fiscal year, that the state's weatherization program to receive at
LANSING - Despite opposition from some environmental groups, legislation broadening what sources of energy would be considered renewable for the purposes of energy providers meeting the required minimum of energy generated from renewable sources cleared the Michigan House Energy and Technology Committee on Tuesday with bipartisan support. Under the H-3 substitute for HB 5205 ,
GRAND RAPIDS - West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum will present a luncheon program on Whirlpool?s sustainability and residential energy efficiency programs, plus Property Assessed Clean Energy financing December 8 at Kendall College of Art & Design in downtown Grand Rapids. Maureen Sertich, North American Sustainability Lead for Whirlpool, will talk about the company's ReNEWW project
LANSING - The state's energy optimization program well exceeded its targets for both electricity and natural gas, the Public Service Commission announced Wednesday. The programs saved 1.3 megawatt hours and 4.41 billion cubic feet of gas in 2013, the annual report said. That represents 32 percent more than the electric target and 21 percent more
ANN ARBOR - Meadowlark Builders will be conducting tours of a custom, resource-efficient home under construction in Dexter, the next installment in Meadowlark?s Behind The Drywall Tour Series. Attendees will get a rare glimpse of the technology and building techniques that go into constructing a resource-efficient home ? all before the drywall is placed on
DETROIT - NextEnergy on Wednesday launched NextChallenge, a global challenge aimed at inspiring the development of innovative energy solutions. ?NextChallenge was developed as a way to source ideas, concepts and intellectual properties that will drive technology innovation and economic development,? Said Jean Redfield, president and CEO, NextEnergy. ?We are confident that the challenge will encourage
EAST LANSING - Richard Lunt, whose solar energy research at the Michigan State University College of Engineering has attracted nationwide attention, has been awarded the highly competitive Camille and Henry Dreyfus Award in Environmental Chemistry, a $120,000 grant that adds a postdoctoral researcher to Lunt?s research team for two years. Lunt is an assistant professor
LANSING - The Michigan Public Service Commission Monday became the first state energy agency in the nation to make energy efficiency improvements to its new office location using Property Assessed Clean Energy financing. ?Michigan state government is committed to eliminating energy waste, and is able to use a variety of tools to achieve that goal,?
LANSING - The Public Service Commission on Monday estimated that energy supplies in Michigan would be adequate to meet anticipated demands this winter, and overall annual demand for natural gas and electricity are expected to increase slightly in 2014 as a result of deviations from normal weather. Assuming a return to normal weather for the