Environmental Law

Department of Energy and EPRI Team Up to Study Efficiency

By Dennis Pfaff and Kevin Livingston, Editors

The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced it had worked out a cooperative arrangement with the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit whose research is supported by electric utilities, to look at ways to promote energy efficiency.

One primary goal of the agreement was to promote widespread adoption of  "demand response" programs to curtail energy use during peak periods. Officials also drew connections between the agreement and efforts to deal with climate change.   

A memorandum of understanding between EPRI and the energy department called on them to coordinate efforts to support research related to demand response and energy efficiency in buildings and on other projects, such as developing ways for utilities to account for carbon dioxide reductions. The document notes that the private institute has launched an initiative to gain the support of up to 50 utilities "to enable expansion of programs, activities and technologies to encourage greater energy efficiency and widespread adoption of electric demand response."

In a DOE statement announcing the initiative, EPRI Senior Vice President Michael W. Howard said the pact, which the memorandum described as non-binding, would "facilitate the development of energy efficiency technologies needed to help slow, stop and ultimately reverse the nation's carbon footprint."

(Department of Energy photo showing March 6 signing ceremony: L-R: Kevin Kolevar, assistant secretary for electricity delivery and energy reliability, DOE; Alexander Karsner, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy, DOE; Michael Howard, senior vice president of research and development, EPRI)

Full post as published by Climate Law Update on March 11, 2008 (boomark / email).