Colorado Establishes Efficiency Program

As many as 70,000 low-income households in Colorado could receive help lowering their energy bills thanks to CoPIRG-supported legislation passed in January.

Energy efficiency funding will go toward education, dissemination of low-cost efficiency measures, heating system repair or replacement, home weatherization and improvements in new housing built for low-income families.

“Low-income households will reduce their energy bills by about $57 million as a result of this initiative, approximately $3 in energy bill savings for every dollar invested in energy efficiency measures,” says CoPIRG Director Rex Wilmouth.

“Increasing energy efficiency is a long-term solution to the high cost burden confronting low-income
households in Colorado.”

PROTECTING MICHIGAN’S WATERS—Kate Madigan and James Clift of the Michigan Environmental Council, Molly Flanagan of NWF, Becky Beauregard of Michigan LCV, Kelly Dardzinski and Mike Shriberg of PIRGIM, and Lisa and Zaccaria Wozniak of Michigan LCV join Gov. Jennifer Granholm as she signs a landmark package of water-use legislation on Feb. 28.

New Water-Use Laws In Michigan

In February, Michigan’s Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a landmark package of water-use legislation, bringing long overdue protections to Michigan’s waters.

“Before these laws were enacted, anyone with a pipe and a pump could help themselves to as much water as they want from Lake Michigan and other water sources,” said PIRGIM advocate Kelly Dardzinski.

“Now, for the first time, we have a set of rules in place that will stop the overuse and abuse of one of our most precious
resources.”

PIRGIM published a report “Left Out to Dry,” a series of case studies of Michigan citizens and communities suffering from water shortages.

“We are very pleased at the progress that this legislation has made, and we look forward to even stronger protections in the future,” concluded Dardzinski.

Programs Slash Global Warming Pollution

Clean Cars programs adopted by 10 states will reduce global warming emissions in 2020 by 64 million metric tons per year, an amount greater than the emissions of more than 140 nations, according to a report released by the state PIRGs’ Frontier Group in February.

The Clean Air Act allows states to choose between complying with federal vehicle emission standards or adopting the more protective standards—known as the Clean Cars Program –implemented by the state of California.

To date, 10 states—California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington—have adopted the Clean Cars Program.

Pennsylvania has also adopted elements of the Clean Cars Program and is now engaged in a rulemaking to update and enforce the standards.

“The pollution reductions that will result from the clean cars requirements in New Jersey and nine other states makes a significant dent in the world’s global warming emissions,” said New Jersey PIRG Director Dena Mottola.

“The commitment shown by these state leaders should give us hope that we can begin to reverse the pollution that is warming the earth.”

Northeast Greenhouse Gas Initiative

In December, governors of seven Northeast states signed on to a pioneering bipartisan accord that will cut heat-trapping global warming emissions from the region’s power plants and create new investment in cleaner, more efficient energy technology.

Along with new pollution limits, the plan will use a market-based strategy that rewards companies for outperforming pollution limits and lowers overall compliance costs.

Known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the accord takes effect in 2009, and will reduce carbon dioxide pollution to a level 10 percent below current emissions by 2019.

The policy is expected to lower utility bills by helping consumers and businesses use energy more efficiently.

“RGGI is vital turning point in the race to reverse global warming, a problem with real-life consequences here at home,” said Connecticut PIRG’s Chris Phelps. ”By taking this historic first step to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the Northeast states pave the way for the whole nation to adopt responsible solutions to global warming,” he concluded.