The Future of Solar is Bright

With federal, state, and utility incentives, the residential solar industry is seeing growth upwards of 50% per year.

In 2005, Western Washington University professor, Jack Hardy, started a renewal energy company as more of a hobby. Nine years later, his garage start-up is thriving with two locations and over 130 projects completed last year alone.

Now retired, Jack’s legacy is doing business as Western Solar Inc and under new direction. Josh Miller, General Manager, reported substantial growth in 2013. “We installed the second largest number of projects in the state last year. Our business has easily grown 50% annually since 2009.”

Recently, Miller completed a contract for a 108kW/400 panel installation which will mark the largest array in King County and fourth largest array in the state. This project will take what was once a small town operation and make it into one of the leading solar installation businesses in the Puget Sound.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) U.S. Solar Market Insight Report, photovoltaic (PV) installations increased 41% nationwide since 2012. This pencils out to an increase of nearly fifteen times the installations six years ago, making solar the second largest source of new electricity behind natural gas. To date, there are over 445,000 PV systems operating in the states, with 140,000 of those installed in 2013.

The boost in PV installations created more than 10 new jobs every hour, as reported in The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census. Nearly 143,000 workers joined the solar industry in 2013.

SEIA reported that the average price of solar panels declined 60 percent since 2011 making solar more affordable. Rebates and incentives are also making solar more attractive to Washington residents.

The financial incentives available for homeowners currently rank among the richest programs in the United States. Until 2016, there is a 30 percent federal tax credit for residential properties and no state sales tax on equipment or installation until 2018.

Additionally, local utilities offer production rebates. According to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, Washington has one of the highest performance-based incentives in the world. Grid-interactive systems may receive production incentives ranging from $0.12 to $0.54/kWh or up to $5,000 per year. Multiplying factors of this incentive are based upon the electricity produced using equipment manufactured in Washington State.

Snohomish PUD customers are eligible for an additional one-time credit of $500 for every kWh installed, capped at $2,500, on qualifying units.

The return on investment, once taking ten years, is now closer to five to seven years. With Washington based panel manufactures offering a 25 year warranty and production expectancy of 35-40 years, anyone with initial funding would be hard pressed to turn down switching to solar.

With 50-60% projected growth in 2014, those in the solar industry like Miller are in for a positive fiscal year, making for a very bright future.

Source: Written by- Amanda Brock. Western Solar Inc. Marketing Director. July 2014.

Solar Panels Work Even in Cloudy Northwest

Yeah we have said it but we are going to let Craig from The Olympian tell you again. :-)

Overcast skies don’t stop photovoltaic cells from pumping out the watts

BY CRAIG SAILOR

craig.sailor@thenewstribune.comMay 28, 2014

At some point just about every homeowner gives a thought to solar energy. Who wouldn’t like to power their house with the sun, watch their electric meter run backwards and never pay for a kilowatt again?

And then the clouds set in. This is the Northwest, after all, not sunny Arizona.

But the sun finally is rising for good on solar power. Costs have come down, efficiency has gone up and financial incentives are increasing the return on investment.

MYTHBUSTING

In California, Hawaii or Arizona solar panels can be seen on many rooftops, but in the Northwest you’re more likely to see Sasquatch than a solar electric array. Dispelling the notion that there’s not enough sun to make a solar power system worthwhile is job number one for solar advocates.

Solar power will be one of the many topics covered at this weekend’s Mother Earth News Fair at the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup. The two-day event focuses on living green. (See below for details.)

“It absolutely does work here,” Puget Sound Energy’s Jake Wade said of solar power. There’s no substitution for direct sunlight, he said. But summer’s long days and lower energy needs (compared with power sucking Phoenix and Las Vegas) enable solar-equipped customers to produce more power than they need.

High heat makes photovoltaic solar panels less efficient. So, the Northwest’s cool days help solar cells produce more energy.

And while overcast skies are not as productive as direct sun they make orientation and pitch of solar panels far less important. (The light is multidirectional.)

PSE has 2,021 solar producing customers. Solar energy now accounts for 1.13 percent of total U.S. capacity, according to figures just released by the U.S. Department of Energy. Since 2010 solar capacity increased by 418 percent across the nation.

NET ENERGY METERING

While Northwest summers might be a solar paradise what happens during winter’s short, dark days when the furnace runs day and night? That, say solar proponents, is when the beauty of net energy metering comes in to play.

NEM allows utility customers who generate their own renewable energy (including wind and hydro) to earn credits for surplus power they deliver to the grid. The Department of Energy cites NEM as one of the main drivers of the increased popularity of solar energy.

The system is simple. During the summer the energy a solar customer produces is sent back to the utility company. Meter discs actually spin backward. In the winter, when more energy is needed than produced, it’s subtracted from the customer’s account.

“It’s like using the utility as an infinitely efficient battery,” said Wade, who is PSE’s net metering program manager.

Some customers, if they have a big enough system and/or are energy conservative, wind up paying nothing for their electricity. However, they still pay a small monthly bill to the utility for service.

COST

Each 1,000 watts of PV solar panel produces about 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. The typical home in Western Washington uses 900 to 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, Wade said. To be completely net zero that home would need an array that produced 10 to 12 kilowatts. The median size of a solar system for a PSE customer is 4 to 5 kilowatts, he said.

The biggest stumbling block for most solar power seekers is cost. A full system could set a homeowner back $30,000. But costs have dropped dramatically in recent years and have stabilized.

The solar panel industry is highly competitive. Federal prosecutors last week indicted five Chinese military officials for stealing industrial secrets from Hillsboro, Oregon, based solar panel manufacturer SolarWorld.

Other factors driving cost include choice of product and difficulty of installation.

TECH ADVANCES

The heart of any solar system is its PV cells. The delicate silicon-based wafers are interconnected and assembled in to sturdy panels, usually about 40 inches by 65 inches. Depending on manufacturer and model the panels can produce from 200 to 275 watts. After quality of the panels, buyers should be concerned with efficiency, price, warranty and aesthetics.

Panel maker SunPower sets the market record at 21.5 percent efficiency. That means that 21.5 percent of light hitting the cells is output as energy in ideal, laboratory conditions. That’s almost a doubling since the Carter administration when the president famously installed panels on the White House roof. They were later removed by President Ronald Reagan.

Scientists have recently announced the development of cells that absorb different wavelengths of sunlight and achieve efficiency in excess of 40 percent. But those cells are years from production and affordability. The development does mean that fewer cells will be needed to achieve the same power output of today’s systems.

Another breakthrough came in inverter efficiency. The inverter is what converts DC power (which the panels produce) to AC power (for home use.) Once at 80 percent efficiency they now run up to 97 percent.

Up until the early 2000s batteries were required but are now no longer needed. Batteries still can be added to a system but add cost and are not needed with NEM. Batteries are a must for off grid systems.

PLACEMENT

The optimum location for solar panels is a south facing, pitched roof. That takes advantage of the most light. A west facing roof is the next best choice but is 15 percent less productive.

A roof pitch of 30 to 35 degrees is optimum. (That equates to a roof rising 7 to 8 vertical inches over 12 linear inches.)

Even if a property owner has plenty of land a roof provides a ready-made, engineered structure and needs the least amount of wiring. At least 75 percent of customers place their panels on roofs. If a roof isn’t at the right pitch or orientation the panels can be racked to the correct placement. However, that will add to the cost.

Other locations include pole and ground mounted panels but both of those also add to installation costs. Some advanced pole systems allow the panels to track the sun through the day.

Some of Haffner’s clients get creative. He’s installed panels on car ports, pergolas and even on a chicken coop. David Lee attached an awning to his house made of solar panels. He plans on adding another soon.

Roof mounted systems come with flashing that prevents leaks. 

INCENTIVES

But wait, there’s more. If free power isn’t a strong enough attraction the financial incentives don’t end there.

Aside from NEM, Washington utility companies administer an incentive program that buys the energy produced by individuals and companies (up to $5,000 per participant per year) regardless of whether it goes to the grid or is used by the customer. If the solar equipment used is made in Washington, then the kilowatt hours produced is paid at 54 cents. If out-of-state equipment is used, then it drops to 15 cents.

Additionally, a solar power customer can take 30 percent of the system cost off their federal income tax bill. That means a $30,000 system would end up costing $21,000 after taxes. Furthermore, all parts and installation costs are sales-tax free in Washington.

When it comes time to sell your home a solar PV system will add to its value. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found in 2013 that a home with a solar system added $24,000 to its sale price compared with homes without systems.

PUSHBACK

Solar energy might be a victim of its own success. Utility companies have recently begun to push back against NEM in the Sun Belt states.

Politicians in California and other sunny states are under pressure from utilities and their lobbyists to retool incentive programs. The companies say renewable energy customers need to share the costs of energy transmission and distribution. Environmentalists say the traditional utility business models are under threat.

Wade said PSE is looking closely at the situations in the Sun Belt states. He acknowledges that the battles will be fought there before they come, if ever, to the Northwest. But, he said, PSE will not stand in the way of renewable energy.

“If this is the direction our customers are going then this is the direction we’re going.”

DO YOU HAVE A SUNNY FUTURE?

The cost of a solar power system is equivalent to that of a new car. But the technology and financial incentives have never been better. If you’re thinking of going solar consider these points:

Budget: Know what you want to spend before starting out.

Financing: Some financial institutions offer solar-based loans.

Staying power: Will you own your home long enough for it to pay off?

Your site: Survey trees and buildings that might block light to panels.

System: Roof, pole or ground mount.

Placement: Does your roof face south? Is it big enough to hold the panels you desire?

Roof: Is it in good shape or will it need to be replaced soon?

Contractors: Find those that deal only or mostly in solar. Make sure they are licensed and bonded.

References: Check them.

RESOURCES

Incentives

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency: dsireusa.org

Washington state solar equipment manufacturers

Silicon Energy: silicon-energy.com
Itek Energy: itekenergy.com

WORKSHOPS

Mother Earth News Fair

Mother Earth News Fair at the Washington State Fair Events Center will feature more than 200 hands-on workshops that center on green living. Headlining speakers include actor and green advocate Ed Begley Jr., organic farmer Joel Salatin, Bob’s Red Mill founder Bob Moore and permaculturist Toby Hemenway.

When: Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1
Where: Washington State Fair Events Center, Puyallup
Tickets: $25
Information: motherearthnews.com

If you are interested in learning more about solar and can't make it to the Mother Earth Fair, Western Solar will be hosting a free Solar 101 Workshop on June 12th.  Click here for more details and to register.  If you would like to schedule a free site assessment, click here.

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2014/05/28/3152965/solar-energy-getting-brighter.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2014/05/28/3152965/solar-energy-getting-brighter.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2014/05/28/3152965/solar-energy-getting-brighter.html#storylink=cpy

Average Annual Household Carbon Footprint - Snohomish County

EV – PV: An EV Owner’s Realization that Solar Makes Perfect Sense in Seattle

One of our clients, Steve Coram, wrote this great blog post!  It is wonderful to hear from a homeowner's experience and real world application.

EV = Goodbye Gas

EV

Why did you buy an electric car? Or, why would you buy an EV? Is it the ultra-ECO Nissan LEAF? Or are you into the totally chic Tesla Model S? Whatever your reasons, there is no hiding the fact that there are some very real monetary motivations to going EV too!

One’s decision to ultimately buy an EV also means that there will be an investment. An investment of time is necessary to fully understand and realize the financial benefits of the purchase. Here’s the short version:

The U.S. federal government subsidizes EV sales by providing owners an income tax rebate on their overall tax burden during the year the EV was purchased. It’s an awesome fringe benefit, but the buyer should do some tax prep to be sure that the full $7500 rebate will come back at tax time. This federal incentive is a use-it-or-lose-it affair. Otherwise, leasing is an excellent option, wherein the $7500 tax benefit applies immediately at the point-of-sale with a resulting low, low lease rate for the new EV driver.

In Washington state, where my family lives, EV adoption is also incentivized by forgoing state sales tax on the purchase of any new electric vehicle. Again, though, one needs to research this perk as some plug-in vehicles qualify (Nissan LEAF), and others do not (Chevy Volt).

The longer that an EV driver can keep the car in service, substantial long-term financial advantages will be realized too. With little to no maintenance costs to keep the vehicle on the road, EV drivers can benefit from the fantastic financial return for money not spent on their car. Windshield washer fluid and a new in-cabin air filter once a year is about it.

Lastly, there is so much money not spent on “fuel.” At 15,000 miles driven a year, an average medium-sized ICE (internal combustion engine) car costs about $0.15 per mile in gas. As compared to a Nissan LEAF, for example, that costs less than $0.03 per mile in electricity.

Made in Washington, Itek Energy Solar Panels

PV

Last summer, after trading in our Mazda CX-9 for a second Nissan LEAF, I started researching incentivized energy options. The next bang-for-the-buck “going green” play was the installation of photovoltaics (PVs) on our roof. Our new PV system will actually be more financially beneficial than our EVs!

The easiest way to explain the cash benefits is to show it on a simplified graph:

The above graph represents after-tax incentives and rebates. This is important to clarify because the cash rebates and incentives are provided at different times in that first year of a PV system being installed. Also, these incentives are a mixture of federal, state (Washington), and local (Snohomish County PUD) programs. Others’ cash benefits may differ, depending on location.

For those living in Washington and receiving electric service through the Snohomish County PUD, this is the breakdown:

Year One: Approximately $12,000 Cash

Federal Tax Rebate: 30% tax rebate*
State Incentive: Solar production cash incentive of $0.54 per kWh generated**
Local Incentive: Snohomish County PUD cash incentive of $2500***

Years Two Through Six: Approximately $3,100 Cash Annually

State Incentive: Solar production cash incentive of $0.54 per kWh generated

Now to explain all of those asterisks!

*The federal tax rebate is used at tax time for 30% of the PV installation cost. In our case, the $21,050 project will allow for a a tax rebate of just over $6,300 on our 2014 federal income taxes. And unlike the EV federal tax credit, if one does not have the tax burden to get the full rebate amount, the 30% rebate can be stretched over multiple years so that the whole amount is realized.

**Washington state is incentivizing PV solar production. The base incentive rate is $0.15 per kWh produced. This is if the solar panels and inverter(s) are made outside of Washington state. If Made in Washington panels and inverter(s) are used on the PV project, the state will reward those who buy local with a $0.54 per kWh cash incentive.

Estimating what the annual solar production will be requires the use of a sophisticated program (Not my brain, silly people!). We can expect the first year solar production to total about 5,800 kWh as measured by AC net output with the System Advisor Model. Our state production incentive will be about $3,100 annually, but our first year payout will be a bit less due to the PV installation happening partway into the calendar year.

The Washington state production incentive is accrued annually as a cash incentive. However, the state production incentive program will expire on June 30, 2020. Thus, the state production incentive in year seven is half of the preceding years.

***Snohomish County PUD incentivizes its electricity costumers to install PV by providing a $2500 cash incentive. This is a $500 per kWh installed incentive, up to $2500 total. Since our PV system has a DC rating of 5.4 kW (solar production measured at the solar panels), we’ll get the full $2500.

We have a 10-year loan for the PV system, therefore will have a negative net cashflow (approx. -$2,500/year) for years 8-10. However, once the system is paid off, we’ll benefit from lower utility bills for as long as we live in the house. And when it comes time to sell our house, we’ll benefit from increased property value from the PV system.

There it is…Eee-Vee (EV), Pee-Vee (PV), and one of the true pleasures of EV ownership: becoming savvy about all of the financial opportunities for going green.

This post originally appeared on Steve’s EV Road Trip Blog.  You can check it out by clicking here.

Source: http://insideevs.com/author/stevecoram/

Solar industry saw 35% employment growth in 2013

The 2013 National Solar Jobs Census compiled by The Solar Foundation revealed that the Washington solar industry employed over 2,000 workers in 2013. This figure includes the addition of 700 solar workers, representing a 35% growth in employment since September 2012.  The top three sectors reviewed included manufacturing, installation, and sales and distribution.

Noteworthy national findings from the census include:

• 77% of the 24,000 nationwide solar jobs are new jobs rather than existing positions that have added solar responsibilities.
• Installers added the most solar workers over the past year, growing by 22%, an increase of 12,500 workers.
• During 2014 solar employment is expected to grow by 15.6%.
• Wages paid by solar firms are competitive, with the average solar installer earning wages comparable to skilled electricians and plumbers and higher than average rates for roofers and construction workers.

Whatcom County can expect positive solar employment growth in 2014 due to the expansion of the itek Energy’s facility. Itek Energy is one of the only two manufacturing firms in Washington, the other being Arlington-based Silicon Energy. Per an interview by the Bellingham Business Journal published November 2013, itek currently staffs 30 people and anticipates doubling their number of employees this year.

Local installers saw positive numbers in the first quarter and anticipate hiring more crews to meet demand over the next six months.

Written by Amanda Brock. Marketing Director for Western Solar Inc. April 2014.

U.S. Solar Industry Has Record-Shattering Year in 2013

What would Alexandre Edmond Becquerel be thinking now?

In 1839, at the age of just 19, Becquerel built the world’s first photovoltaic panel, later inspiring the imaginations of millions of people worldwide, including legendary scientist Albert Einstein.  Still, it took another 115 years before Bell Labs invented the first modern silicon solar cell. 

By comparison, it’s no stretch to say that the solar timeline has rocketed forward at warp speed in recent years.

Continuing its explosive growth, the U.S. solar industry had another record-shattering year in 2013.  According to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) Solar Market Insight Year in Review 2013, photovoltaic (PV) installations expanded rapidly last year, increasing 41 percent over 2012 to reach 4,751 megawatts (MW) of new capacity.  In addition, 410 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) came online in 2013.  Consumers nationwide benefited from this growth as the cost to install solar fell throughout the year, ending 15 percent below the record low set at the end of 2012.

When the final 2013 numbers were added up, there were 440,000 operating solar electric systems across the United States, totaling more than 12,000 MW of PV and 918 MW of CSP.

What does this mean to you?  Well today, solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy in America, generating enough clean, reliable and affordable electricity to power more than 2.2 million homes – and we’re just beginning to scratch the surface of our industry’s enormous potential.  Last year alone,solar created tens of thousands of new American jobs and pumped tens of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy.  In fact, more solar has been installed in the U.S. in the last 18 months than in the 30 previous years combined. That’s a remarkable record of achievement.

California continues to lead the U.S. market and installed more than half of all new U.S. solar in 2013.  In fact, the Golden State installed more solar last year than the entire United States did in 2011.  North Carolina, Massachusetts and Georgia also had major growth years in 2013, installing 663 megawatts – more than doubling their combined total from the year before. On the whole, the top five states (California, Arizona, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and New Jersey) accounted for 81 percent of all U.S. PV installations in 2013.

Here are some of the other highlights of the report:

• The amount of PV installed last year in the U.S. was nearly 15 times greater than the amount installed in 2008.
• Q4 2013 was by far the largest quarter ever for PV installations in the U.S. with 2,106 MW energized, up 60 percent over the next largest quarter (Q4 2012).
• The market value of all PV installations completed in 2013 was $13.7 billion.
• Solar accounted for 29 percent of all new electricity generation capacity in 2013, up from 10 percent in 2012.  This made solar the second-largest source of new generating capacity behind natural gas.
• Weighted average PV system prices fell 15 percent in 2013, reaching a new low of $2.59/W in the fourth quarter.
• The new report forecasts 26 percent PV installation growth in 2014, with installations reaching nearly 6 GW.  Growth will occur in all segments but will be most rapid in the residential market.
• The U.S. installed 410 MW of concentrating solar (CSP) in 2013, increasing total CSP capacity in the U.S. more than 80 percent.
• And finally, Brightsource’s massive Ivanpah project also began operating this year and SolarReserve’s Crescent Dunes project began commissioning.

So while 2013 was a record-breaking year for the U.S. solar industry, 2014 promises to be even better with 30 percent growth being forecast.  Part of this unprecedented expansion is due to the fact that the average price of a solar system has dropped by more than 50 percent since 2010, benefiting consumers, businesses, schools and government entities.

Today, 40 years after SEIA was first formed, there are nearly 143,000 Americans employed by the U.S. solar industry at more than 6,100 American companies – with SEIA leading the fight to expand markets, remove market barriers, strengthen the industry and educate Americans about the benefits of solar energy.  These efforts have led to the adoption of a wide range of smart public policies, including the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) in Congress and Net Energy Metering (NEM) at the state level.

And to think it all started when a 19-year-old in the 19th century came up with the idea of turning sunlight into electrical energy.

Source: Writer- Rhone Resch. The information and views expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of RenewableEnergyWorld.com or the companies that advertise on this Web site and other publications. This blog was posted directly by the author and was not reviewed for accuracy, spelling or grammar.

Stimulus Dollars Advance Energy Efficiency And Renewable Energy In America's Cities

The nation's mayors this week released the results of a new survey pointing to city successes in using Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). 

Participating Washington state cities included Everett, Redmond, Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver.

Gresham (OR) Mayor Shane Bemis, Bridgeport (CT) Mayor Bill Finch and Carmel (IN) Mayor Jim Brainard presented the survey findings on a national press conference call to highlight local energy innovations championed by mayors in every part of the country. The results document the responses of 204 mayors – representing cities of all population sizes and from all regions – to a series of questions from the Mayors' Climate Protection Center designed to show generally how cities invested their EECBG program funds to help further local initiatives to reduce energy use, deploy new energy technologies and curb harmful energy emissions, among other local outcomes. 

"These findings underscore that mayors have been leading by example on energy efficiency and conservation for years," said Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis, Chair of the Conference's Energy Committee.  "Mayors all across the country have been actively working to advance energy-saving measures in communities large and small, and what we see in this report translates into real budgetary savings, local job creation and small business growth."

While the full report can be found at www.usmayors.org, some of its key findings are below:

• The three top uses of EECBG dollars by cities were energy retrofits of government buildings (83%of cities), LED/other energy-efficient street lighting (42%), and solar energy systems on public buildings and facilities (31%).
• Most mayors directed a majority of their EECBG funds to investments in municipal projects and operations.  Nearly seven in eight mayors (87%) expended a majority of their EECBG grant dollars on municipal projects and operations.
• LED/other energy-efficient lighting ranked first among energy technologies that have already been deployed by cities, with local and federal resources, most notably EECBG grants, providing the primary sources of funding for these deployments. 
• The availability of EECBG funds to cities has influenced city budgetary priorities, and also prompted new partnerships with a range of private sector and governmental entities.
• A majority of mayors cited energy service contracting as the innovative energy financing strategy that EECBG funds helped most often.

Of the report's findings, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, who Co-Chairs the Conference's Energy Independence and Climate Protection Task Force said, "Even as mayors were confronting budget constraints due to the recession and federal spending cuts, this report shows that cities leveraged EECBG dollars by making investments that are still paying dividends today.  In my city, we are reducing electricity usage and making solid waste and sewage sludge operations more efficient.   So, clearly, this modest federal commitment has bolstered mayors' efforts to advance energy efficiency, conservation and technology deployment initiatives in their cities." 

Five years ago, as part of ARRA, EECBG formula grants were distributed directly to cities by the U.S. Department of Energy. Of the $2.7 billion provided to the program in formula funding, about half of these dollars ($1.3 billion) were distributed directly to cities to support their energy and climate efforts, a commitment that ranked among the largest provided to local governments in the ARRA legislation.

The Conference of Mayors conceived the EECBG Program to engage the federal government in supporting the nation's mayors in accelerating local energy and climate initiatives, especially the more than 1000 mayors who have joined as signatories to the Conference's Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which was a landmark pledge for mayors all across the country to take bold action to significantly reduce carbon emissions in cities in alignment with Kyoto Protocol standards.

"The mayors who signed the USCM Climate Protection Agreement represent more than 86 million people in the U.S. who are learning how important it is to work locally to curb harmful greenhouse emissions and adapt to climate change," said Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard, Co-Chair of the Conference's Energy Independence and Climate Protection Task Force.  "The success mayors are having in deploying these resources makes the case for a stronger local-federal partnership on our nation's energy and climate challenges, including continued EECBG funding to support cities and local areas as they develop new energy solutions." 

Last month, the Conference released a related report, Energy Efficiency and Technologies in America's Cities, which was unveiled during the USCM 82^nd Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. at a session with mayors and U.S. Energy Secretary Moniz at the Capital Hilton.  That survey can be found at usmayors.org/2014energysurvey.

About the United States Conference of Mayors:
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. 

SOURCE: The U.S. Conference of Mayors. WASHINGTON, March 1, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire.