The Valmont power plant east of Boulder — which first began operation in 1924 — will burn its last trainload of coal by the end of 2017, if a new plan by Xcel Energy is approved by state regulators.  Read the Story from the Daily Camera.

Senator Harry Reid has announced that the Climate Bill, which contains the Home Star program, will not receive a Senate vote before August recess, meaning the program will not come to a vote until September after Labor Day at the earliest.  Congress has been unable to agree on other provisions of the Climate Bill, relating [...]

Home appliance manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates have reached agreement no new standards for making home appliances more energy efficient.  From the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy:
Washington, D.C. (August 3, 2010): Home appliance manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates have agreed to improved efficiency standards and tax policies for refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, [...]

The BBC seems to think that Boulder is “Stumbling on the Path to Going Green.”  At least we’re on the path to going green!  Here’s to Boulder leading the way, and to the journey.

Progress on Home Star!  Stay tuned this week for more news as Home Star is introduced in the Senate this week.  Here’s the latest from Efficiency First:
Have you seen the news? Earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that HOME STAR will be included in a four-part energy bill to be introduced in the [...]

Own a multi-family building?  Grants are available for weatherization services from the Governor’s Energy Office and Energy Outreach Colorado:
GEO Multifamily Weatherization Grants Available
Grant applications are being accepted for the 2010-11 multifamily weatherization program offered through the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) and Energy Outreach Colorado. Qualifying projects must have five or more housing units and [...]

Urgent action is needed today on Home Star.  Congress is deciding whether to include the bill in the Small Business Jobs Bill.  Find out more from this article on the Huffington Post.

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced 15 research and deployment partnerships to help dramatically improve the energy efficiency of American homes. These highly-qualified, multidisciplinary teams will receive a total of up to $30 million for the initial eighteen months of the projects to deliver innovative energy efficiency strategies to [...]

At Populus, we are pleased to have worked on several projects with Sean Smith of Sean Smith and Company.  We are excited to announce that Sean is hosting the HGTV television show “Professional Grade.”
The premise of the show is simple: homeowners tackle their own room renovation and try to achieve professional results on a limited [...]

Malta, NY, July 13, 2010 – The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI), a nationally recognized standards development and contractor credentialing organization is pleased to announce that it received approval today from the American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI) as an accredited developer of American National Standards.
“This is a natural step in BPI’s growth toward becoming [...]