Johnson Controls: Your Energy Forum: Public Policy Archives

Move over mayors, here come the governors!
July 07, 2008

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Thomas F. Walther, Johnson Controls

American mayors have made a visible stand promoting the need for action to reduce climate change, with some 850 mayors joining the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and committing to strive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in their own communities.

But the action is going to multiply as the nation’s governors begin their national conference this week in Philadelphia. The National Governors Association's Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative is expected to take precedence, as the governors are aggressively moving forward with plans to address energy and climate change issues.

· Many of them have established commissions or committees to review energy issues and climate change issues, including Gov. Sonny Perdue (R-GA), Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-TN), Gov. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Gov. Jim Doyle (D-WI).

· Others are providing education to businesses and organizations in their state, such as Gov. Charlie Crist’s (R-FL) recent Serve to Preserve Conference featuring Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) talking about the remarkable ways he’s advancing California’s efforts.

· Some are also supporting legislation that brings together the efforts of cities and counties within their state, such as Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA)’s support for the "green communities" program, offering cities and towns the chance to use state loans and grants to finance energy efficiency improvements, and renewable and alternative energy projects;

· They’re coming up with innovative ideas, such as Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.’s (R-UT) recent proposal to move state agencies to four 10-hour days a week in order to save energy and reduce commuting expenses.

· And best of all, the governors are banding together to share best practices. That’s one of the highlights of the upcoming Southern Governors’ Association Annual Meeting at which Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) will host a town hall-style meeting to discuss several initiatives.

If you’ll notice, this isn’t a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It’s a good government issue. The governors know that addressing climate change begins at home – looking at their own buildings and operations to determine how to make them more energy-efficient. Saving energy saves money, helps the environment and creates green-collar jobs. It addresses the “Triple Bottom Line” of Economic, Social and Environmental benefits.

The leadership they’re providing is an excellent way to demonstrate to businesses in their own states to follow in the same direction.

Tom Walther is the Regional Sales Manager for State Government Solutions for Johnson Controls in the Eastern United States.

Energy Efficiency Forum Looks to a Post-Partisan Future
June 16, 2008

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By Barry Worthington, Executive Director, U.S. Energy Association

It was a moment I’ll never forget at last week’s 19^th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum in Washington D.C. My organization, the U.S. Energy Association, sponsors this yearly event with Johnson Controls, Inc.

The National Press Club ballroom was packed with not only a who’s who in energy policy, but also with the people around the country who are responsible for leading energy decisions in their businesses, school districts, hospitals, colleges and local governments. Indeed, the mayors of Seattle, Trenton, N.J., and York, Penn. had earlier participated in a rousing panel talking about the need for local action as the country awaits a national climate change policy. The audience’s engagement at that point was tremendous, but it’s not the moment I’m referring to.

Nor was it immediately after the speeches by the Obama and McCain surrogates – Jason Grumet of the National Commission on Energy Policy and former Senator and Governor George Allen, respectively. Both did an outstanding job of providing a glimpse of what we can expect with a new administration, no matter who is at the helm.

The moment didn’t occur during U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman’s keynote address, which touched on some of the Bush Administration’s advances in energy policy over the past eight years. His strong assertion that the American people are calling for action and taking action themselves said a great deal about the changing landscape of public opinion.

No, the moment took place during an amazing presentation by author and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. It started with his reading – for the first time in the United States, he noted – from his forthcoming book, "Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution - and How It Can Renew America." He then described a world with a burgeoning middle class that increasingly is looking for the same material comforts that Americans and Europeans enjoy. The energy it will take to enable those comforts combined with the growing impact of climate change creates some very tangible economic, social and environmental threats to our own existence

I briefly turned my head from my place near the front of the audience and looked around. At that moment, every single person in the room – the Democrats, the Republicans, the hospital administrators, the environmentalists – was leaning forward in his or her chair, actively listening to each word.

They all understood that energy demands will affect them in profound ways, and sooner than they ever thought. It didn’t matter what their political persuasion was, or what business they were in, or where they lived. It dawned on them, as it is beginning to become understood by many, that something has to be done.

Then I turned back to Mr. Friedman. He continued speaking in subdued tones with powerful messages about how Americans can benefit by working together to find solutions that will strengthen us as a country. It’s clear that energy efficiency will play a significant role in this post-partisan approach to solving problems.

I’m pleased that the Energy Efficiency Forum has contributed to the ongoing discussion. I’m looking forward to our 20^th anniversary in 2009, when we can see how the next administration, Congress and all the local players will have in impact.

Barry Worthington is the Executive Director of the U.S. Energy Association, an association of public and private energy-related organizations, corporations, and government agencies. USEA represents the broad interests of the U.S. energy sector by increasing the understanding of energy issues, both domestically and internationally.

Energy Efficiency Adds to State Coffers
June 09, 2008

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By Thomas F. Walther, Johnson Controls

Watch for state leaders and U.S. presidential candidates to turn to energy efficiency initiatives as a means to stimulating economic growth. A new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) concludes that energy efficiency can contribute to the growth of state economies, helping to reverse decreasing state tax coffers. The report, “Positive Returns: State Energy-Efficiency Analyses Can Inform U.S. Energy Policy Assessments,” includes a review of 48 state- and regional-level studies on energy efficiency performed over the last 15 years.

The authors determine that “energy efficiency will result in a small but net positive benefit for the American economy as a result of policies that emphasize investment-led energy efficiency improvements. These studies can inform the direction the United States must take to ensure viable energy security and climate change solutions.”

One especially interesting finding is that “a 20 percent efficiency gain by 2030 could provide an estimated 800,000 net jobs, while a 30 percent efficiency improvement might generate as many as 1.3 million net jobs.”

We’ve found that to be true as we work with many states to reduce energy use and the resulting carbon footprint in state-owned and –operated buildings. For instance, in the state of Indiana, where Johnson Controls is working on a project with the Indiana Department of Corrections, we’ve hired dozens of local contractors for work in replacing outdated boilers and lights, and upgrading energy systems. These “green collar jobs” are exactly what every state – indeed, the entire country – needs to face the challenges of not just the future, but the realities of today. By implementing energy efficiency programs, state and national leaders can have a huge impact.

Tom Walther is Johnson Controls Regional Sales Manager for State Government Solutions for the Eastern United States.

Changing the World of Energy Starts with an Individual Showing Leadership
May 05, 2008

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By Darryll Fortune

When you hear about an award that honors “exemplary leadership in instituting and advancing energy efficiency in the United States and abroad,” it may seem like a lofty goal, but that’s just what the Energy Efficiency Forum’s Energy Leadership Awards is designed to recognize.

The Energy Leadership Awards were established in 1991 to honor public officials who have provided exemplary leadership in instituting and advancing energy efficiency in the United States and abroad. The awards are presented at the Energy Efficiency Forum, held this year June 10-11, 2008 in Washington, DC. The event, now in its 19^th year, is co-sponsored by the United States Energy Association and Johnson Controls, Inc.

This year’s theme, “What’s Happening Now and What’s Next?”, invites an examination of the energy leadership taking place in public and private sectors, and the potential impact on business and government that new energy and climate change policies from a new presidential administration could bring. The confirmed keynote speaker is Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, author of “The World is Flat.”

For almost two decades, the Energy Efficiency Forum has found plenty of suitable award winners. From the early recipients, such as then-Sen. John Glenn and then-Gov. Tom Ridge, the Forum has sought out a bipartisan representation of those who know the importance of energy efficiency. That’s because it really comes down to individuals and the impact and influence they yield in effecting a change in, well, climate.

Sometimes it’s the efforts of dedicated environmentalists, such as 1995 winner William K. Reilly, president of the World Wildlife Fund until taking over as administrator at the EPA in 1989. People who have it in their blood to do the right thing.
Some of the winners are those who have established and nurtured public-private partnerships, such as James Sullivan, Robert F. Ichord, Jr., Jefferson Seabright, J. Brian Atwood and Gordon Weynand from the U.S. Agency for International Development. These are people who understand it takes more than government mandates to establish an energy efficient ethic. It takes initiatives that involve businesses and industries, both in the United States and abroad, to enact large-scale energy efficiency enhancements that provide cost-savings for the betterment of the public: taxpayers, shareholders, community, patients, students and homeowners.
An increasingly larger group is local government leaders, such as former Baltimore Mayor and now Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who are pushing forward legislation in response to cries from their constituents asking them to stop the bleeding from increasing utility prices.

At this year’s Forum, more individuals who have significantly contributed to energy efficiency initiatives will be honored in the following categories: Public Service, Mayor’s, Congressional, Governor’s, International and the prestigious Douglas Decker Lifetime Achievement Award.
Perhaps you want to nominate someone. Just submit names of individuals deserving of the award by filling out a nomination form at www.eeforum.net/awards.html. The deadline is Friday, May 16.

Darryll Fortune is the Director of Global Public Relations for Johnson Controls.

Keeping a Close Eye on Green Collar Jobs – Part Two
March 17, 2008

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Joy Clarke-Holmes

Johnson Controls

Last week, I wrote about an event held in Pittsburgh March 13-14: Good Jobs, Green Jobs: A National Green Jobs Conference.

And what an event it was! Organizers say more than 900 people attended from a broad range of interests: Businesses, state/local government, NGOs, and trade unions – all looking for ways to benefit from more jobs in the environmental sector.

As I mentioned, one of the reasons I went to the conference was a desire for a better definition of what a green collar job is. Although there still will be a good deal of discussion about specifics, I was pleased with the definition given in the Apollo Alliance’s outstanding publication, Green-Collar Jobs In America’s Cities: Building Pathways Out Of Poverty and Careers In The Clean Energy Economy.

“Green-collar jobs…are well-paid, career track jobs that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. Like traditional blue-collar jobs, green-collar jobs range from low-skill, entry-level positions to high-skill, higher-paid jobs, and include opportunities for advancement in both skills and wages.”

What I like about this definition is that it provides a better connection to the triple-bottom-line of sustainability: measuring success through financial, social and environmental advances. Reuters quotes Piper Jaffray’s Lois Quam as saying there are currently about 8 million "green" jobs in the United States in industries that attracted $148 million in investment in 2007, up 60 percent from the year before.

I spoke at a session on Friday, and from the reaction of our audience, it’s the cities and states – along with private-sector partnerships – that will make Green Collar Jobs a reality as a tool for economic development. (Note: Earlier in the week, a similar study and plan of action for state policy makers, Greener Pathways, was released in Milwaukee.)

I counted myself among the growing group of industry experts at the conference who strongly advocate energy efficiency and renewable projects as the best creator for green jobs.

An analysis by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) indicates that if investments and policies are implemented to meet Governor Martin O’Malley’s energy efficiency reduction goals of 15% of forecasted electricity consumption by 2015, more than 12,000 new jobs in the state will be created by 2025.

“These include well-paying trade and professional jobs needed to design and install energy efficiency measures. These new jobs, including both direct and indirect employment effects, would be the equivalent of some 100 new manufacturing plants relocating to Maryland, but without the public costs for infrastructure or the environmental impacts of new facilities,” according to the report.

As a bonus, these energy efficiency projects also are the most effective way to reduce carbon emissions. For example, Johnson Controls is helping the city of Baltimore reduce its $40 million annually energy budget by building a renewable methane gas energy generation facility and providing energy efficiency facility upgrades. Some of the project results:

Guaranteed reduction in energy consumption of $1.8 million annually
Captured former waste stream (methane gas) and converted it to a useful application
New facility cost funded by savings
Reduction in emissions of 13 million pounds of CO and 7.7 grams of nitrogen oxide

Most importantly, 25% of the project work done is being done by local certified minority and women-owned contractors. Johnson Controls is actively engaged in training these green collar workers, which is an investment in the city’s future. After they’ve worked on our job, they’ll be ready and able to be hired on the next green initiative. And there are sure to be others in the pipeline.

The Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference absolutely was a turning point for all involved. Now we’ve got to get the word out about the need for more public-private partnerships that advance these types of projects in every city and every state in the country.

Keeping a Close Eye on Green Collar Jobs
March 10, 2008

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Joy Clarke-Holmes

Johnson Controls

An event being held in Pittsburgh March 13-14 is the first I’ve seen that focus entirely on what truly has become the buzz phrase of 2008: Green Collar Jobs.

Good Jobs, Green Jobs: A National Green Jobs Conference is promoted as an event that “will bring together national leaders and advocates to share the best thinking about the link between economic opportunity and environmental solutions.” I’ll be speaking Friday, March 14 at 8:45 AM, and I’m looking forward to an exciting session.

First of all, what’s a green collar job? I haven't found a single definition for it, and if you have one please share it, but it generally includes elements of what is in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, recently passed by Congress, which provides support for people in these areas:

the energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofits industries
the renewable electric power industry
the energy efficient and advanced drive train vehicle industry
the biofuels industry
the deconstruction and materials use industries
the energy efficiency assessment industry serving the residential, commercial, or industrial sectors
manufacturers that produce sustainable products using environmentally sustainable processes and materials

The term “Green Collar” actually was first brought up at a 1976 Congressional hearing, when university professor Patrick Heffernan, delivered his paper, “Jobs for the Environment — The Coming Green Collar Revolution.”

There was quite a lull in the conversation about the connection between the environment and job creation until organizations such as the Apollo Alliance (launched by the Institute for America’s Future and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy) and the Blue Green Alliance (led by the United Steelworkers and Sierra Club) recognized the powerful economic force that could be created.

These days, presidential candidates refer to green collar jobs as part of their platform addressing environmental issues and mayors look to green collar jobs as a means of attracting high-tech companies to their cities.

Even more important – green collar businesses are attracting new, young workers who have an environmental ethic and older, seasoned workers who are eager to be retrained in growing fields.

At the Good Jobs, Green Jobs conference, I look forward to meeting other participants to share best practices, advocate more political solutions and encourage investment in green collar industries and energy efficiency projects.

Pittsburgh in March? It will never look so green.

Joy Clarke-Holmes is the Director of Local Government & Metro Markets Solutions Sales for Johnson Controls, Inc. She manages marketing and sales operations for hundreds of municipal customers across the United States for Johnson Controls, a global leader in creating infrastructure improvements with economic impact.

Joy also represents Johnson Controls in several national organizations, including the National Association of Counties, International City/County Management Association, National League of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

In addition to her 25 years of business experience, Joy is involved in many civic organizations. She has a BS in Education from the City College of New York and is a graduate of the Management Institute at the University of Southern California.

2007 Energy Bill: Beyond cars and light bulbs
December 21, 2007

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2007 Energy Bill: Beyond cars and light bulbs

By Mark Wagner

What a difference a couple of years make! When President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 this week, people actually paid attention.

Unlike the Energy Policy Act of 2005, this new bill contains actions that will affect consumers – higher fuel standards and phasing out incandescent light bulbs – that are grabbing headlines.

We were all ready for this one. Congress, the president and the American public are concerned about an unstable Middle East, global warming and high gas prices, and energy efficiency can have a positive impact on all of them. But just as important as fuel-efficient vehicles and energy-efficient light bulbs are the parts of the energy bill that aren’t getting headlines. Here are just a few:

Federal Buildings – The federal government will designate energy managers to conduct comprehensive energy and water evaluations for each of the 500,000 federal facilities. They’ve also established an Office of High-Performance Green Buildings at the General Services Administration (the world’s largest landlord) to manage and coordinate green building information and activities throughout the federal government. And federal agencies may not lease new space in buildings that have not earned the ENERGY STAR ® label – encouraging the private sector to audit and improve their own facilities.
ESPC – Major improvements were made to the federal Energy Savings Performance Contracting program, including permanent authorization, elimination of a time-consuming approval process for projects and allowing appropriated dollars to be combined with financing to help leverage projects. That means ESPC projects like the phenomenal photovoltaic array developed by Johnson Controls at the Twentynine Palms military base, which is helping secure a reliable energy supply while saving nearly $7 million per year, can continue at federal facilities around the world.
Commercial Buildings – The bill sets a national goal to reduce commercial building energy use and achieve zero-net-energy commercial buildings for commercial buildings that are generally constructed after 2025, retrofitted to 50 percent of all commercial buildings by 2035, and all commercial buildings by 2025. That means that facilities such as the Integrated Design Associates zero-energy and zero-carbon emissions building in San Jose can be replicated all over the country.
Industrial Buildings – There’s now a program to identify and recover industrial waste heat and energy, which will include grants and a registry of sites with economically feasible situations. The government also will promote the use of new materials, processes, technologies and operating techniques to optimize efficiency in energy-intensive businesses.
School Buildings - The bill contains grants to states to provide technical assistance for programs that address environmental issues and include standards for school design, construction and renovation.
Hybrid cars – The legislation has a number of provisions designed to promote the development and manufacturing of advanced batteries for hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. Included are programs for expanded research and development, demonstration of technology, manufacturing incentives, secondary application and recycling of batteries, and technology education for universities.

Amid these worthwhile programs are two caveats.

We need more promotion for renewable energy. Dropped from the final version of the legislation was a controversial provision to require electric utilities to produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. The abandoned provision would have also allowed up to four of the 15 percent (approximately 27 percent of the total) to be met through energy efficiency measures. Additionally, extensions for important tax incentives to encourage development of wind and solar energy were also eliminated from the legislation. Congressional leaders indicated they would try to pass these provisions next year in the second session of Congress.
A number of new programs promoting energy efficiency were created. But we need to be sure these noteworthy provisions are funded. With EPAct 2005, many outstanding ideas were left to wither in the wind because Congress didn’t provide the money for them.

So that’s the next challenge. Keep pushing for renewable energy incentives, and fund the new programs. Simple, right? But the fact that we’ve achieved so much in two years tells me we have the momentum, and Congress has the energy to make it happen.

Fish or Cut Bait
December 17, 2007

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By Mark P. Chatelain, Ph.D.

In December, 2007, McKinsey & Company and The Conference Board jointly published an Executive Report titled “Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much at What Cost?”

The report is a must-read for anyone following this topic.

Most noteworthy is the statement, “The U.S. will need to develop and implement a strong, coordinated program of economy-wide abatement actions in the near future, if it is to achieve emissions reductions (in bills currently before Congress) for 2030 at the lowest cost to the economy.” The report suggests the abatement program be built on three principal actions:

Stimulate action through a portfolio of strong, coordinated policies to capture GHG reductions efficiently across industry sectors and geographies.
Pursue energy efficiency and negative-cost options quickly.
Accelerate development of a low-carbon energy infrastructure.

In my opinion, these actions make great sense and are worthy of implementation. Yet the stalling by many companies and politicos likely will complicate effective implementation of these rather simple actions. For example, the grass-roots efforts to implement strong GHG reduction legislation are prompting many states and municipalities to enact their own programs for reducing GHGs in the absence of federal legislation or guidance. Many of these emerging programs have numerous similarities. However, each has distinct nuances that are creating inconsistencies between regions, states and even between municipalities within some states – a real nightmare for any multinational company interested in compliance leadership.

To make matters worse, these differences are spreading globally, along with frustration at the lack of a strong coordinated policy. The bickering and appeasement of special interests groups most likely will continue for several years before any basic guidance at the U.S. federal or at an international level ever is achieved.

Although many might see the foot-dragging as positive for developing effective and reasonable GHG regulations, the flip side is that each state and municipality is creating bureaucratic infrastructures that likely will grow with every day that an overarching federal requirement is not implemented.

As these state and municipal bureaucracies expand, it undoubtedly will become increasingly more difficult to undo them and their unique requirements for reducing GHGs. States and municipalities should not be faulted for being proactive. However, those special interest groups and corporations resisting “strong, coordinated policies to capture GHG reductions efficiently across industry sectors and geographies” should wake up to the cold reality of the problems they are incubating. It is time to fish – not cut bait.

Journalists Optimistic on Chances for an Energy Bill
October 17, 2007

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By Steve Thomas

One of the impressions I brought back from the recent Society of Environmental Journalists conference at Stanford was that journalists are very optimistic that the United States House and Senate will be able to reconcile their differences and present President Bush with an energy bill. They seemed to think this would happen sooner, rather than later, and gave credit to the very high levels of concern in the country over global warming and the environment. The vast majority – if not all the journalists I talked to – believe that the science is settled and unassailable when it comes to global warming and they feel the public feels the same way. So it makes sense to try to do something about it.

Some of the optimism was apparent in a session called “Californians on the Front Lines: The Shifting Politics of the Environment.” This session was moderated by Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post and participants on the panel included Congressman Jay Inslee of Washington State, Fabian Nunez, speaker of the California Assembly, Dorothy Rothrock from the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, Stuart Leavenworth of the Sacramento Bee and Andrew Light of the University of Washington.

While there were a variety of views represented on the panel, the bottom line was a grudging acknowledgement that California probably cannot continue to go it alone forever when it comes to pursuing serious energy efficiency goals. They are going to need some help from Washington, D.C. and they are going to need more states to start to take serious steps to address climate change and the environment if they are going to stay competitive long term. Serious national energy efficiency goals, combined with incentives for renewable energy and some type of cap and trade system for carbon emissions would be a big step in the right direction.

My sense is that journalists were willing to accept some compromises in order to get most of what people think we need now – rather than waiting and hoping for a different administration to spur things on in a couple of years. In other words, there are enough areas of overlap between the two bills passed by the House and the Senate to get something worthwhile in the short term – and there’s too much public pressure for the politicians to sit by doing nothing in Washington.

Public Policy Blog
June 05, 2007

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Public Policy category under construction. Content coming soon.