Ohio lawmakers have delayed a critical vote on a controversial energy bill that would charge the state’s utility customers hundreds of millions of dollars to subsidize two nuclear power plants that their owner, bankrupt utility FirstEnergy Solutions, has threatened to close without financial support...the House version of the bill would have entirely eliminated Ohio’s current 12.5-percent-by-2026 RPS and cut all the monthly surcharges paying for energy efficiency and demand-reduction programs, which have saved Ohio customers $5.1 billion from 2009 to 2017, according to t

In case you missed it — and [Ohio] state lawmakers hope like crazy you have — legislation laughably referred to as a “clean energy” bill, is well on its way to becoming law at a high cost to you and me...Proponents framed their utility bailout as a way to save customers money and keep power plant jobs — as opposed to thousands of manufacturing plant jobs that disappear in the state without similar subsidized intervention.

Ohio House passes controversial energy bill changing electric fees

COLUMBUS — The Ohio House voted 53-43 in favor of a controversial energy bill that will require Ohio’s 4.8 million electric customers to pay fees that will be used to subsidize two aging nuclear power plants and two coal-fired plants, including one in Indiana. House Bill 6 would wipe out surcharges currently paid by consumers for renewable energy, energy efficiency and peak demand reduction programs...

In Wisconsin, it pays to get rid of your old, energy-wasting refrigerator.

Beard: “We pay you money for your old refrigerator, and more importantly for some people is we’ll come to your house and pick it up!”

John Beard is with Focus on Energy. For more than 15 years, the utility-funded program has helped customers become more energy efficient.

In the recipe for slowing global warming, energy efficiency is a critical ingredient. According to the International Energy Agency, improving efficiency could provide more than 40 percent of the reductions in carbon pollution pledged in the Paris Climate Agreement. That’s if individuals, businesses, and governments around the world make full use of the efficiency technologies that already exist.

Environmentalists and consumer advocates on Tuesday warned that a bill pending in the Ohio House would pile more costs onto consumers and stifle renewable energy and conservation programs...New monthly fees — $2.50 for residential, $20 for commercial, $250 for industrial and $2,500 for very large users — would be collected from all 4.8 million electric utility customers in Ohio.

"WASHINGTON (April 9, 2019) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are honoring 183 ENERGY STAR partners for their outstanding contributions to public health and the environment.

Energy efficiency is widely regarded as the least costly source of additional energy, the most immediate way to reduce carbon emissions, a crucial part of any plan to achieve climate goals and advance a clean economy. It enjoys bipartisan support.

But Congress let federal energy-efficiency tax credits lapse more than a year ago, and the industry has struggled to get attention in a dramatically distracted capitol.

The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance hosted the 15th annual Inspiring Efficiency Awards on Thursday, honoring leaders who delivered groundbreaking advancements in energy efficiency in five categories: Leadership, Education, Impact, Innovation and Marketing. This year, Leadership Awards were awarded to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Richard Mark, chairman and president of Ameren Illinois. 

The decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement ultimately may have little effect on the country’s ability to meet its pledge of reducing domestic greenhouse gas emissions to 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, thanks to several states and cities that have stepped up to the plate. In June, the U.S.