Publications

Regional & State Policy

The following publications and presentations released by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project related to Regional & State Policy:

• Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) position on clean hydrogen
  January 2023 -

  With the passage of federal legislation in 2022, there is significant funding and renewed interest in the potential for clean hydrogen to contribute to climate solutions. In SWEEP's work to promote energy efficiency, electrification, and other clean energy solutions to climate change in the Southwest states, we will be involved in decisions regarding potential new hydrogen projects in the region, and investments in the Department of Energy’s proposed clean hydrogen hubs. SWEEP sees the potential of green hydrogen to contribute to the United States and regional climate goals, if its production and use are prioritized properly. We think it is important to maximize the wise use of renewable electricity resources — for direct use as electricity, or to produce green hydrogen for difficult to decarbonize fuel uses. SWEEP does not support the production of other colors of hydrogen, including blue, with some potential caveats discussed in this position paper.
• Building Electrification: How Cities and Counties are Implementing Electrification Policies
  All-electric buildings have been around approximately 150 years. Building electrification is the process of moving from fossil fuel-powered buildings to electric powered buildings. Systems within the building, such as space heating, water heating, cooking appliances, and laundry, would be powered by electricity and would use highly efficient technology such as electric heat pumps and induction stoves. These are necessary steps for buildings to achieve 100 percent clean renewable energy and align with state and municipal climate goals. This report explores how building electrification can be accomplished and includes adoptable code language based on 12 case studies.
  • Electrification in Building Codes
    July 2020 - One page summary of electrification in building codes.
• Sustainable Transportation Funding for Colorado: Modernizing the Gas Tax to Improve Air Quality, Protect the Climate, and Save Money
  March 2020 - Colorado is grappling with a long-term shortfall in transportation funding. At the same time, the state faces a range of transportation-related problems, including unhealthy air quality, a worsening climate crisis, increasing traffic, and the growing unaffordability of modern life for many residents. To address these problems comprehensively, Colorado should modernize the gas tax. This paper describes how the state can and should raise additional revenue and stabilize funding by reforming the gas tax to automatically account for trends in inflation, fuel efficiency, and vehicle electrification; while avoiding policies (such as raising EV fees) that would slow progress toward a clean and efficient transportation system.
• Energy Codes in Colorado Jurisdictions
  November 2019 - November 2019 - A survey of which version of the energy code has been adopted by each local jurisdiction in Colorado. Colorado law requires that they update to at least one of the three most recent versions of the energy code upon updating any other building codes.
• Growing Greener: The Environmental Benefits of a Compact and Connected Boulder
  August 2019 - Boulder, Colorado is an environmentally conscious city with a problem. The lack of housing in Boulder has caused most of its workforce to live in surrounding communities – exacerbating global warming and air pollution with their long commutes and fueling regional sprawl. By enabling compact development, Boulder can create neighborhoods where homes, jobs, and recreational opportunities co-exist – enabling residents to walk, bike and take transit to where they are going. Decades of studies show that compact development is the right choice for the environment. This is the next step for Boulder to take to be a true environmental and climate leader.
• Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: Providing Energy Demand Flexibility for Utilities in the Southwest
  August 2019 - A new report by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project entitled "Grid-Integrated Buildings: Providing Energy Demand Flexibility for Utilities in the Southwest" provides a summary of the residential and small commercial grid-interactive building demand-side management (DSM) programs at the major utilities in the Southwest, highlighting existing programs in the region that are using grid-interactive buildings (GEBs) as a resource to help with the integration of variable renewable generation and to provide other grid services that create value for customers. The report highlights programs in this region that are at the forefront of utilizing GEBs to provide value to the grid.
• Shared, Electric, and Self-Driving: How states and municipalities can encourage autonomous vehicles to be shared and electric
  September 2018 - The transportation sector is now the largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S. economy. Without high levels of vehicle electrification and an accelerated decarbonization of the electricity sector, it is unlikely that the transportation sector, and thus the entire US economy, will be able to attain the significant GHG reductions necessary to reduce the impacts of climate change.
• Electrifying Transportation: Boulder County's Clean Future
  February 2018 - As part of its commitment to sustainability, Boulder County is investigating the potential to electrify its own vehicle fleet and increase plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) adoption by its own employees and the general public. Vehicle electrification offers one of the best opportunities to significantly reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the County’s fleets and its employees, which is a necessary step to achieve the County’s goal of carbon neutrality in its operations.
• Time-Sensitive Valuation of Electricity Savings in the Southwest
  August 2017 - This report examines the methodologies that electric utilities in the Southwest use to value the avoided costs (i.e., determine the benefits) of their energy efficiency and other demand-side management programs. The report also presents the actual value of energy savings for different types of programs implemented by the southwest utilities, and provides recommendations for future valuation of energy savings.
• Opportunities for Vehicle Electrification in the Denver Metro area and Across Colorado
  August 2017 - This in-depth report examines how electric vehicles can help the City and County of Denver, CO, meet the aims articulated in the city’s Climate Action Plan and Sustainability 2020 Goals, and how the vehicles also can help the surrounding metropolitan area improve regional air quality. To do so, however, the city and metro area must overcome several challenges, which the report also describes, along with possible ways to overcome the obstacles.
• Affordable Energy for All: A Plan to Expand Energy Efficiency Benefits for Low-Income Salt Lake City Residents
  August 2017 - A new report completed by SWEEP’s partner Utah Clean Energy recommends ways that Salt Lake City can expand energy efficiency improvements in low-income housing. The report reviews current low-income energy services and provides five recommendations for steps the city can take to increase the number of low-income families that benefit from home energy retrofits. The report was requested by Salt Lake City and prepared through U.S. Department of Energy funding that SWEEP provided to Utah Clean Energy.
• Improving Mobility Without Building More Lanes
  July 2017 - Non-technical overview and companion pieces to longer engineering study "Managed Lanes and Other Strategies to Improve Mobility on the I - 25 South Corridor"
• Managed Lanes and Other Strategies to Improve Mobility on the I-25 South Corridor
  July 2017 - To improve mobility on this corridor, transportation planners should consider the conversion of one lane in each direction to a managed lane, providing drivers a congestion-free option. Revenues from the managed lane would be focused on aggressive transportation demand management (TDM) efforts to provide transportation alternatives to travelers in the corridor.
• Summary of Key Energy Efficiency Provisions in the Clean Power Plan
  August 2015
• Incentivizing and Providing Appropriate Credit for Energy Efficiency Improvement in Forthcoming CO2 Emissions Standards for Existing Power Plants
  November 2013 - Energy efficiency improvements could play a large role in helping states and utilities meet the forthcoming CO2 emissions standards or guidelines for existing power plants at least cost. But the degree to which this occurs depends on the nature of the standards or guidelines adopted by the EPA.
• No Longer Background Noise: Resource Planning When Energy Efficiency Really Matters
  August 2012 - Paper presented at the 2012 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings
• Energy Efficiency: Reducing Pollutant Emissions and Improving Public Health
  April 2011 - Presentation to EMPSI National Energy Symposium
• Industrial Energy Efficiency Programs and Supporting Policies: A White Paper
  March 2011 - Report prepared by SWEEP and ACEEE for the Western Governor's Association
• Building the Clean Energy Economy: A Study on Jobs and Economic Development of Clean Energy in Utah
  January 2010 - Utah Clean Energy Report
• Energy Efficiency in Colorado’s New Energy Economy: Business Case Studies
  January 2010 - SWEEP Report
• Recent Innovations in Financing for Clean Energy
  October 2009 - SWEEP Report
• Energy Efficiency and Job Creation in Colorado
  April 2009 - SWEEP Report
• New Mexico Energy Efficiency Strategy
  January 2009 - SWEEP Report
• Utah Energy Efficiency Strategy
  October 2007 - SWEEP Report
• Update on Energy Efficiency Efforts in Western States
  July 2007 - Presentation to Energy Efficient Buildings Workshop
• Energy Efficiency's Role in Reducing Global Warming
  April 2007 - Presentation to Salt River Project
• What Every Westerner Should Know About Energy Efficiency and Conservation
  April 2007 - SWEEP / Center of the American West Report
• Update on Energy Efficiency Efforts in the Southwest
  March 2007 - Presentation to National Symposium on Market Transformation
• Low-Cost Energy Efficiency Measures: Neighborhood Blitz, Direct Install, and Conservation Kit Programs
  December 2005 - SWEEP Report
• Energy Efficiency Policies and Programs in the Southwest
  September 2005 - Presentation to ACEEE National Conference
• Energy Efficiency Policies and Programs in the Southwest
  March 2005 - Presentation to Energy Efficiency Task Force Meeting, Santa Fe
• Nevada Energy Efficiency Strategy
  January 2005 - SWEEP Report
• The New Mother Lode: The Potential for More Efficient Electricity Use in the Southwest
  November 2002 - SWEEP Report