by Jake Millette | Jan 14, 2026 | The Big Why
Utility commissions often guide state policy through energy efficiency plans. In recent years, many have approved plans that focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting electrification. However, by focusing on these necessary goals, the plans can create...
by Jake Millette | Oct 15, 2025 | The Big Why, Uncategorized
As Fall sets in and I debate when to turn on the heat (pump), I think about other ways to efficiently keep homes warm. In addition to upgrading the efficiency of the heating equipment, improving a home’s building envelope (insulation and air sealing) is a great way to...
by Jake Millette | May 8, 2025 | The Big Why
As with building energy codes, equipment standards are a very cost-effective way to save energy by requiring a minimum level of energy efficiency for certain products, thereby transforming the market. Similarly, the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR...
by Michaels Energy | Apr 16, 2025 | The Big Why
Electrification can have many benefits. These include higher efficiency (because of the refrigeration cycle and less waste heat), lower GHG emissions (due to an increasingly green grid), and many non-energy benefits (such as reduced indoor air pollution). However,...
by Jake Millette | Mar 12, 2025 | The Big Why
To say that 2025 has been chaotic in the energy sector is an understatement. From freezes of clean energy projects to cuts to funding and staffing of key government agencies to removal of publicly available data, the Trump administration has slashed our country’s...
by Jake Millette | Jan 9, 2025 | The Big Why
It seems every day I see news about the exploding growth of data centers, driven by artificial intelligence and crypto-currency mining. As AI gets integrated into everything (whether we want it or not), the energy required to do the same tasks multiplies. (A ChatGPT...
