The People's Car Project: Hover Car

"Visualizing U.S. Energy Use in One Giant Chart"

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"Affordable Clean Energy Rule misses chance to slash carbon emissions"

Statement of Steven Nadel, executive director, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

The Affordable Clean Energy Rule (ACE), announced today by the US Environmental Protection Agency, misses a large opportunity to slash carbon emissions, reduce air pollution, and save money. The rule recognizes that energy efficiency measures at power plants can reduce both carbon emissions and consumer utility bills, but it will deliver relatively few savings.

The EPA estimates it would reduce the power sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by 11 million short tons by 2030. While this may sound like a lot, it’s a small fraction of what could be saved. In fact, ACEEE analysis shows that energy efficiency policies and programs for customers could reduce power sector greenhouse gas emissions by 600 million tons by 2030, increase GDP by $17 billion, create 611,000 new jobs, and lower the average American’s utility bills — saving them twice as much as it costs to install new energy-efficient technologies.

Utilities’ efficiency programs are cleaning the grid and saving money for families and businesses. They would have saved much more under the Obama’s administration Clean Power Plan (CPP), which the ACE will replace. Even without federal backing, states should still ensure their utilities and agencies are implementing all cost-effective energy efficiency to help their families, their economy, and their environment.

Six Policies That Have Cut U.S. Energy Use By 20%

From a blog post at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

• Fuel economy standards for cars, minivans, and SUVs generated the largest energy savings in 2017. They saved an estimated 9.0 quads [quadrillion BTUs]. To that add savings of 0.3 quads (ACEEE calculations) from heavy-duty vehicle standards.
• The second-largest savings, 6.0 quads, come from minimum efficiency standards on appliances and other types of energy-using equipment.
• Third on the list is the ENERGY STAR program. ENERGY STAR has operated for more than 20 years, steadily expanding its market reach and participation levels. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that this program saved about 370 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity in 2017, which is equivalent to 3.7 quads. EPA estimates an additional 0.5 quads of savings in direct fossil fuel use in homes, buildings, and industry, for a total of 4.2 quads of savings.
• Fourth is energy efficiency programs funded by utility customers and operated by either the utilities themselves or other entities designated by states and utilities. They help the utility and all ratepayers, because saving a kWh is generally less expensive than generating a kWh. In 2017, these programs saved about 242 billion kWh and 400 trillion BTUs of natural gas for a total of 2.7 quads.
• Federal government energy efficiency research, development, and deployment (RD&D) appears to produce a similar level of savings as utility programs, but this estimate is very uncertain.
• Building energy codes are next on the list, saving an estimated 1.5 quads in 2017. The first energy codes were developed in the 1970s, and code stringency has steadily increased since then, driven by new technologies and practices, as well consumer economics. Compared to 1980 codes, current national model building codes reduce energy use by nearly 40% (residential) to 50% (commercial).

"UPS to Cut 1 Million Metric Tons GHG with Huge Renewable Natural Gas Purchase"

From NGV Global News:

UPS has entered into an agreement with Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to purchase 170 million gallon equivalents of renewable natural gas (RNG) through 2026. This is the largest commitment for use of RNG to date by any company in the United States, with a range of 22.5 – 25 million gallon equivalents per year.

RNG is a key part of UPS’s strategy to increase alternative fuel consumption to be 40% of total ground fuel purchases by 2025, supporting the logistics leader’s efforts to reduce the absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its ground fleet 12% by 2025.

“The world has a trash problem. And the world has an emissions problem. Renewable natural gas, produced naturally from bio sources such as landfills and dairy farms, not only turns trash to gas, but it turns it into cleangas,” said Mike Casteel, UPS director of fleet procurement. “Since RNG is supported by existing national infrastructure used to transport natural gas, it’s a winning solution that will help UPS to reach our ambitious sustainability goals. At the same time, we hope our unprecedented seven-year commitment serves as a catalyst for wider adoption of RNG by other companies.”

UPS has used more than 28 million gallons of RNG in its ground fleet since 2014. This means the company will now be using nearly as much RNG in one year as it has used over the past five years combined. By switching from diesel fuel to RNG, UPS vehicles fueling at 18 company-owned and operated natural gas stations across 12 states will realize a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, as much as 1,074,000 metric tons of GHG over the life of the agreement. This is equivalent to planting 17,000,000 trees, removing 228,000 cars off the road or recycling 374,000 tons of waste that would otherwise be sent to the landfill.

UPS trucks refuel at Clean Energy stationClean Energy, co-founded by T. Boone Pickens and Clean Energy President and CEO Andrew J. Littlefair, is the exclusive provider of Redeem™ RNG, the first RNG made available in commercial quantities. According to Clean Energy, Redeem™ RNG yields at least a 70% reduction** in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional diesel or gasoline. Also known as biomethane, RNG can be derived from many abundant and renewable sources, including decomposing organic waste in landfills, wastewater treatment and agriculture. It is then distributed through the natural gas pipeline system, making it available for use as liquefied natural gas (LNG) or compressed natural gas (CNG).

“Together, UPS and Clean Energy are moving the industry forward and toward a nation of energy independence by pushing for RNG at scale,” said Tyler Henn, vice president and general manager of Clean Energy Renewables, a division of Clean Energy. “We’re excited to deliver Redeem to a partner with a substantial alternative fleet and an ongoing commitment to RNG. We’re pleased to be able to fulfill the growing demand for RNG as more fleets seek a clean, economical alternative.”

UPS Natural Gas Fleet

UPS drives more than 6,100 CNG and LNG vehicles which can be powered by RNG in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. More than 22% of the conventional diesel and gasoline fuel previously used by UPS’s ground fleet is now being replaced by alternative fuels including renewable natural gas and renewable diesel. This is significant because of RNG’s staggering reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional diesel.

Since 2009, UPS has invested more than $1 billion in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations globally. UPS deploys the more than 10,000 vehicles in its Rolling Lab to utilize technologies that work best depending on the needs of the delivery route. From old-fashioned pedal power and electric-assisted bicycles in dense urban areas like Seattle, London and Hamburg to electric and hybrid electric vehicles in the U.S., and natural gas, renewable natural gas and propane globally, UPS puts sustainability innovation into action, all over the world.

For more information on UPS’s sustainability initiatives, visit www.ups.com/sustainability.

** Based on weighted average carbon index of Clean Energy’s fuel supply as approved by California Air Resources Board (CARB)

Visual Capitalist has created an animated bar chart showing electric vehicle sales in the United States for 2010-19. "It paints a picture of a rapidly evolving market with many new competitors sweeping in to try and claim a stake. You can see the leads of early successes eroded away, the increasing value of scale, and consumer preferences, all rolled into one nifty animation."