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This study assesses the direct, indirect, and total impacts of political partisanship on state‐level utilities' investment in energy efficiency. This subject is of utmost importance because energy efficiency improvement has become a linchpin in worldwide efforts to combat climate change and other environmental challenges. Analysis of data on 51 electric utilities nested within 31 U.S. states indicates that political partisanship influences utilities' energy efficiency policies. There is strong evidence that electric utilities in states dominated by the Republican Party are less likely to invest in energy efficiency than those in states governed by the Democratic Party. This finding suggests that political partisanship may be shaping the policy and regulatory frameworks put in place by state governments to incentivize or compel the participation of private‐sector entities' in environmental management and/or resource conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined residential policy support for energy efficiency (EE) subsidies for investor-owned utility organizations in the southeast United States. Residents in this region continue to increase electricity consumption, and utility organizations remain reliant on fossil fuels for generation. States in the region are resistant to federal clean energy policy. Investor-owned utilities in the region have offered residential EE programs, however, with mixed results. The study explored the likelihood that awareness of EE, past participation in EE, perceptions about utility motives for offering EE, socio-economic factors, attitudes, and planned behaviors would influence residential policy support for EE subsidies for utility organizations. Drawing from the theory of planned behavior, the study is the first to the author's knowledge to explore the mediating role that residential attitudes and planned behaviors occupy between the focal intrinsic and socio-demographic variables in the study and residential policy support for EE. The study found that the influence of Democratic affiliation on residential EE policy support was fully mediated through both attitudes and planned behaviors, and that perceptions of utility motives were fully mediated through planned behaviors. A large gap between attitudes and planned behaviors emerged for Democratic affiliates. Partially mediated relationships emerged for awareness in EE programs, past participation in EE programs, gender, and perceptions of utility motives. Gain- and loss-framing of messages was introduced and was significantly related to both residential attitudes and planned behaviors. The use of effective messaging strategies and implications for policy makers, utility organizations, and energy efficiency implementers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about municipal planning for energy reduction and climate change in conservative areas of the United States, where opposition to environmentalism is often vocal and persistent. This paper analyzes the experience of 31 municipalities in the Dallas-Fort Worth region of Texas implementing the federal energy efficiency and conservation block grant. A qualitative case study approach and extensive interviews with municipal staff yield a detailed description of the political discourse of energy issues and climate change planning. Many municipalities used the grant funds for necessary maintenance projects and had little impact on long-term energy independence or climate change leadership. A subset of municipalities expressed fear of citizen disapproval and some experienced significant opposition that changed or halted their efforts. Based on effective initiatives and common challenges, recommendations are made to foster energy and climate planning in conservative regions and improve implementation of national policies on the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article responds to a recent critique in these pages by Danny Cullenward and Jonathan Koomey of a prior article reporting measured historical rebound magnitudes on the productive side of the US economy. They argue that the data quality objections they raise are serious enough to warrant outright dismissal of the reported rebound magnitudes. In particular, they cite unaccounted for regional energy price differences as fatal to the credibility of the results. The present analysis instead shows, via various extreme sensitivities around the energy price trajectory, that historical rebound magnitudes in 30 productive sectors of the US economy are sensitive but robust to energy price differences – both magnitude and variability differences – and remain large and thereby policy-relevant (commonly > 50%, with the overall average varying from 15% to over 200% (“backfire”) at the extremes). Along the way, the analysis provides further evidence of the reliability of the widely-used Jorgenson et al. econometric data set and methodology, and of the multitude of articles that have followed there from. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the interaction between climatic variability and residential electricity consumption in a Southeast US state. Residential electricity consumers were surveyed to better understand how to diffuse positive attitudes and behaviors related to energy efficiency (EE) into households. The study found that 16.8% of the variability in residential electricity consumption for heating applications was explained by indirect EE costs. 36.6% of the variability in residential electricity consumption for cooling applications was explained by indirect EE costs and cooling degree days (CDD). A survey of 2450 residential electricity consumers was analyzed using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Significant findings suggest that those residents are aware of utility EE programs are more likely to participate, view utility company motives more favorably, to support governmental subsidies for EE programs, and to support the use of clean energy by utility companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere has affected the global climate. The federal, state and local governments are mostly concerned with the environment, so they have developed and/or implemented environmental policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Increasing renewable energy use and improving energy efficiency are some of the strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Each state has its own set of regulations and incentive policies to address energy use and supply, and these are constantly updated to reflect changing conditions. Failed policies are often extracted, while successful policies continued (pending availability of funds). Thus, it is necessary to verify which kinds of policies are helpful to increase the usage of renewable energy and energy efficiency methods. The main objective of this research was to understand how influential different kinds of policies would be in encouraging renewable energy use and improving energy efficiency. Based on the analyses, the research team identified the key factors of a successful energy policy. This research systematically reviewed environmental policies and investigated their effectiveness. Most importantly, policymakers can utilize the factors that influence their energy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article presents a detailed econometric analysis of historical energy efficiency rebound magnitudes in the US economy by sector and in aggregate. The results strongly suggest that energy consumption forecasts that ignore rebound effects will systematically and significantly understate energy consumption. Accompanying this article is a toolkit that allows any analyst to conduct a comparable analysis for any country, or sector, for which the data are available. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low carbon cities. What, exactly, are we talking about? Are we talking about lifestyles, activities, or enterprises? Are we talking about individual or group voluntary behavior change or a policy framework that seeks to encourage behavior change by regulatory force? Faced with an enormous literature that mixes related topics like sustainable development/climate change/energy conservation/low carbon, it is not surprising to hear about local governments’ or planners’ “climate change initiatives”. This paper describes/reflects on how officials in Broward County, Florida, are dealing with issues of awareness, governance, measurement, and instruments for challenges arising from the combined threats of energy depletion and climate change. The overriding objective of this paper is to provide some pith for the discussion of planning for low carbon cities. To this end, we describe and reflect on the planning management responses of Broward County, Florida, USA – as an illustrative local government – in dealing with climate change challenges (CCC), energy conservation (EC) and greenhouse gas reduction (GHG). Both description and reflection are important as it is primarily the latter that provides the critical perspective necessary for assessing both potential and effect. The paper is organized into five sections. The first two sections address the “contextual” questions raised above: what is the level of knowledge and/or awareness among the collection of planners and/or local governments; and, what are/is appropriate responses of different levels of government. In the next section, we review overall levels of knowledge and awareness of basic science and policy dimensions, with particular attention paid to (a version of the) US planning profession. This is followed by a discussion of “theoretical” prescriptions for actions at different levels of government. The third and fourth sections focus on Broward County. The third section describes the county and presents a current measurement of its carbon footprint (at least at the level to which it can be measured). The fourth section describes the operational response of Broward County government. The final section returns to the original questions of knowledge and appropriate types of responses and argues that while the Broward response is generally effective in certain aspects, the current policy paradigm contains both strengths and weaknesses, which are generally outlined and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents abstracts of articles about planning including those focusing on settlement house work and social reform, the development of heating and cooking technology in the U.S. in the 19th century and emergence of historic sites as tourist destinations in the U.S. in the late 19th century.

The article presents abstracts on city planning-related topics, including visions of waterfront development in postindustrial Philadelphia, the construction of a town planning perception of Colombo, and city planning and the U.S. census.

Lighting constitutes more than 20% of total U.S. electricity consumption, a similar fraction in the European Union, and an even higher fraction in many developing countries. Because many current lighting technologies are highly inefficient, improved technologies for lighting hold great potential for energy savings and for reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions. Solid-state lighting shows great promise as a source of efficient, affordable, color-balanced white light. Indeed, assuming market discount rates, engineering-economic analysis demonstrates that white solid-state lighting already has a lower levelized annual cost (LAC) than incandescent bulbs. The LAC for white solid-state lighting will be lower than that of the most efficient fluorescent bulbs by the end of this decade. However, a large literature indicates that households do not make their decisions in terms of simple expected economic value. After a review of the technology, we compare the electricity consumption, carbon emissions, and cost-effectiveness of current lighting technologies, accounting for expected performance evolution through 2015. We then simulate the lighting electricity consumption and implicit greenhouse gases emissions for the U.S. residential and commercial sectors through 2015 under different policy scenarios: voluntary solid-state lighting adoption, implementation of lighting standards in new construction, and rebate programs or equivalent subsidies. Finally, we provide a measure of cost-effectiveness for solid-state lighting in the context of other climate change abatement policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Energy efficiency provides substantial carbon dioxide emissions reduction. • Renewable energy sources substantially influences carbon dioxide emissions. • Substantively, renewable energy is slightly more effective than energy efficiency. • Affluence tampers the effectiveness of energy efficiency and renewable energy. This study examines the comparative effectiveness of two important proposed solutions to climate change—energy efficiency improvement and the development and use of renewable energy sources. We focus specifically on their impacts on carbon dioxide emissions by conducting fixed effects regression analysis of panel data pertaining to U.S. states. The analysis reveals a negative relationship between both remedies and carbon dioxide emissions. Although the effects of these potential solutions are statistically equivalent, renewable energy production has a slight edge. Reflecting upon these findings and the larger environmental problem, we caution against exclusive reliance on efficiency improvement and renewable energy to the neglect of other important actions, such as lifestyle modifications. A broad range of social changes, which incorporate the remedies investigated in this paper, are needed to limit long-term global temperature increases to the desired level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]