Access to energy for heating, hot water, transportation, and other uses is a necessity of modern life. Nationally, low-income households, on average, devote 7.3% of their income to electricity, natural gas, and other fuels used at home, with some households paying far more. This represents a large percentage of income, a situation known as “energy burden.” In addition, throughout the west, transportation is the second largest expense for low-income households, behind only housing. The number ... More

The COVID-19 pandemic is having dramatic impacts on all aspects of our lives. This includes energy use as a result of stay-at-home orders and other efforts to slow the spread of the virus. A recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that countries in full lockdown are experiencing an average 25 percent decline in energy demand while countries in partial lockdown are seeing an 18 percent decline on average. Electricity demand has been depressed by 20 percent or more... More

The Crisis Unfolds What a difference a few months can make for the construction industry. Just this last January the construction industry was operating at full speed, new residential and commercial buildings were popping up, sales of these new properties were strong, and the employment rate was at historic lows. As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, building departments and construction industry confront work-from-home challenges, social distancing and how many people can be in a building or... More

On April 23, the Colorado Energy Office unveiled the new and improved Colorado Electric Vehicle Plan, a guiding document that sets forth the State’s ambitious EV targets and outlines the programs, policies, and strategies required to transition the transportation sector to clean, zero-emission vehicles. Transportation is a leading source of climate-changing pollution in Colorado and vehicles are also a major source of soot and smog pollution that harm public health (and increase the risks... More

Building electrification is the new buzz word for construction in states and cities. For the past 20 years, SWEEP has focused on bringing energy efficiency throughout the Southwest. Over this period, the building efficiency world has changed. If we think back only ten years ago, cities, states, and the building industry were in the throes of a deep recession which started, depending upon who you ask, in the finance and building industry. At that time, the focus to reduce energy consumption was... More

The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) joined Plug-In America and Clark County to present the Nevada Transportation Electrification Forum on Thursday, March 12, 2020. More than 100 key stakeholders gathered to learn about the benefits of transportation electrification and explore public and private sector efforts to accelerate the transition to electric transportation in the Silver State. “Driving on electricity makes sense,” said Tom Polikalas, SWEEP’s Nevada Representative.... More

SWEEP is disappointed in the 2020 NM State Legislature’s failure to pass two vital pieces of energy efficiency and clean transportation legislation. Despite full support of the Governor, many lawmakers and low-income advocates, the legislature did not pass either SB114, the Community Energy Efficiency Development (CEED) block grant or SB2/HB217 the Electric Vehicle Income Tax Credit. Despite the ultimate failure of these bills, we would like to thank our very strong and supportive sponsors.... More

Super Bowl commercials are famous for creating awareness and buzz about the latest consumer products and services. In fact, the intrigue involving the commercials has become nearly as important as the game itself. So it's significant that four major automakers spent big bucks to signal to consumers that a variety of electric vehicles have arrived in the U.S. marketplace. Audi, Ford, GM, and Porsche spent an average of $5.6 million per 30-second ad to showcase their new models to the 197... More

Note: A previous edition of this blog used inaccurate data from other sources to calculate the projected fuel cost savings under the new Xcel Commercial EV rate. It has been updated. The electric bus market is booming. As of September, more than 200 transit agencies nationwide had purchased more than 2,000 electric buses. Colorado’s Regional Transit District (RTD) has one of the largest electric bus fleets in the country with 36 all-electric MallRide buses traveling up and down the 16th... More

Two bills, which are being fast-tracked through the state legislature, would prevent local leaders from modifying certain kinds of building codes. These codes are designed to establish minimum standards for building safety, durability, efficiency, air-quality, water usage, and more. Under current law, local governments are allowed to establish local building codes based on local needs and values. That’s possible because Arizona’s constitution makes Arizona a “home rule” state, underscoring... More

In 2019, SWEEP and its allies were instrumental in securing approval of numerous new policies that will advance energy efficiency and vehicle electrification in the Southwest. Here is my list of the Top Ten success stories of 2019, in no particular order regarding importance. Colorado Governor Issues EV Executive Order On January 17th, newly elected Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued and Executive Order supporting vehicle electrification in the state. Among its directives, it... More

After a 12-month process the newest building energy code, the 2021 IECC, was recently approved by code officials through the online voting phase — by and large, they voted to increase efficiency gains not seen since the 2009 and 2012 energy code. The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is the model building code for anyone involved in construction of energy efficient, affordable, and healthy homes and commercial buildings. The code is updated every three years through a stakeholder ... More

Consumers in the southwest will realize about $7.6 billion in net economic benefits as a result of energy efficiency programs implemented by the largest electric utilities in the region over the past decade, according to new information compiled by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). As a result of energy efficiency programs implemented over the past decade, these utilities were able to cut their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by nearly 12 million metric tons in 2018. Updated... More

Conversations centered on transportation electrification continue to pick up steam across the Southwest. This is especially true in Arizona since the Arizona Corporation Commission approved two electric vehicle policies in January 2019 and July 2019. Heightened interest in transportation electrification policies is one reason why SWEEP, Plug In America, and Arizona State University’s Energy Policy Innovation Council, recently organized the first annual Arizona Transportation Electrification... More

Please note: A previous blog post describing this event was a draft and posted before some errors were corrected. On the cusp of Thanksgiving, we extend our thanks to you for your patience and your ongoing support of energy efficiency. Tom Polikalas The "Zero Energy Ready Home" (ZERH) workshop, hosted by Southwest Gas on November 18, 2019 in Las Vegas, drew together a broad cross section of Nevadans to explore cost-effective ways to save energy, benefit Nevada's economy, and improve the... More

Congratulations to EPA’s Indoor airPLUS Program 2019 Leader Award winners! Each year only one builder and one rater are selected for these prestigious awards. It is Energy Inspectors, based out of Las Vegas, second consecutive year to be selected. Thrive Home Builders is based out of Denver, CO and it’s the first year they have won this award. The EPA announced and awarded their Leadership awards at the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA) High Performance Home Summit on October ... More

As SWEEP reported earlier, energy efficiency jobs are booming in the Southwest, growing almost 5% between 2017 and 2018 according to the 2019 U.S Energy and Employment report. Increasing energy efficiency reduces greenhouse gas emissions, saves customers money on their energy bills, and provides a significant source of employment. A new report provides more detail on the key role of energy efficiency jobs in the Southwest and highlights the differences among states based on recent policy and ... More

The town of Basalt, Colorado had a big problem. The local school district was struggling to attract and retain quality teaching staff due to low wages (30% less than comparable schools) and high local housing costs (30% more). But an innovative solution arose from this difficult situation that has resulted in an incredible community collaboration to build Basalt Vista, an all-electric, net zero, affordable housing community. Roaring Fork Valley (RFV), Habitat for Humanity (H4H), and... More

Denver’s cannabis growing facilities (which are mostly indoor grows) account for about 4% of Denver’s total electricity consumption, while producing over 50% of the state’s supply of marijuana. Indoor grows are fairly energy intensive, consuming about ten times as much energy per square foot as a typical Denver office building. There are also many cost-effective opportunities to improve energy productivity (grams of product per unit of energy consumption) including more efficient lighting,... More

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more popular by the day as the technology rapidly matures. The potential benefits over conventional gas-powered vehicles are numerous - they reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, reduce fuel costs, are easy to maintain, fun to drive, and are quickly becoming cost-competitive with traditional vehicles. For these reasons, many companies and local governments are quickly adding electric vehicles to their fleets. But what about... More

Most states adopt consistent and standard statewide building codes. But a handful of states – including the southwest states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Wyoming – leave code adoption up to each and every local jurisdiction, creating a patchwork of confusing and often-outdated codes. In Colorado, for instance, even though most high-construction areas have up-to-date codes, more than 150 jurisdictions have an energy code from 2009 or earlier, and another 50 jurisdictions have no building... More

In 2018, new Governors were elected in Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. Likewise, state legislatures either remained in Democratic control or flipped to Democratic control in all three states. With new leadership, policymakers in these states made energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate action priorities in 2019 legislative sessions. The advances for energy efficiency policy are noteworthy. In Colorado, the state legislature adopted minimum energy- and water-saving standards for 15 ... More

The Southwest region (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming) added 6,127 jobs focused entirely or partially on improving energy efficiency in 2018 according to the newly released 2019 U.S. Energy and Employment Report. Energy efficiency remains the top sector for energy jobs in the Southwest, ahead of oil and natural gas production, electric power generation, and other energy supply sectors covered in the report. The chart below shows the number of energy efficiency jobs in ... More

In the last few years, electric vehicles (EV) have emerged as the most promising clean transportation alternative to conventional gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles. Pro-EV policies designed to accelerate the global transition to electric transportation have played a critical role. Automakers and other vehicle manufacturers have responded by shifting their investments toward the development of new electric vehicles – from sedans and SUVs, to pickup trucks, delivery vans, school buses, and... More

“There’s tremendous activity in the marketplace already in Nevada,” Bobzien said in a brief interview at the forum “Certainly, we are well known for the companies that are here that in this space, we have tremendous working relationships with surrounding states in the Western region to advance the electrification of our highways, and I think the next five years, in particular, are going to be very exciting.” ​State Senator Chris Brooks also provided his thoughts on the electric vehicles and... More