| The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) on June 2 released the Clean Power Plan proposal, which for the first time cuts carbon pollution from existing power plants, the single largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. "The EPA's proposed new rules for existing power plants are a critical step toward addressing climate change," said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. "This common-sense approach will reduce carbon emissions while also giving states unprecedented flexibility to meet their obligations within an all-of-the-above set of options, tailored to each state’s needs and opportunities. A flexible approach will keep electricity affordable for American families and businesses, spark homegrown clean energy innovation that creates jobs, and increase energy efficiency to save families money." Moniz also said, "These new rules for existing power plants help lay the groundwork for a clean energy economy that will pay economic, environmental, and security dividends." The EPA plan calls for the power sector to cut carbon emissions by 30% below 2005 levels nationwide by 2030. The EPA estimates this will shrink electricity bills roughly 8% percent by increasing energy efficiency and reducing demand in the electricity system. Power plants account for roughly one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. While there are limits in place for arsenic, mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particle pollution that power plants emit, there are currently no national limits on carbon dioxide pollution levels. See the Energy Department news release, the EPA news release, and the Clean Power Plan proposal .   The Energy Department on May 28 officially launched the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS), an online open-source platform that facilitates the discovery and use of geothermal data, enabling researchers to speed geothermal energy development. This online tool will allow academia and industry to access quantifiable, technical data in digital format. The goal of the NGDS is to accelerate research and development in order to drive down the cost and improve the accuracy of subsurface exploration, while also encouraging investment in geothermal energy production. The public data platform encompasses thousands of databases, geologic maps, and reports, drawing from millions of digitized records that were previously unavailable. This can aid discovery of new data on geologic features, faults, seismicity, heat flow, geochemistry, drilling, and temperatures at various depths and in specific geographic areas. All Energy Department-funded geothermal projects submit cutting-edge research data to the network through a dedicated interface called the Geothermal Data Repository. See the Energy Department news release. The General Services Administration (GSA) on May 28 announced that it will use Green Button technology to save energy and shrink costs across the federal government. The agency launched this initiative in partnership with industry leaders following a 2013 Presidential memorandum directing federal agencies to strengthen efforts to use renewable energy and manage energy usage more efficiently and effectively. Green Button is an industry-led effort that allows electricity customers to download their household or building energy-use data in a user-friendly format. The December 2013 Presidential Memorandum set a new target for federal agencies to increase their consumption of renewable energy to 20% of their total amount of electric energy use by 2020. GSA, along with the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, with support from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, have worked to launch a Green Button pilot program demonstrating integrated Green Button energy analytics. The pilot built upon earlier 2012 GSA energy management saving $16 million across 100 GSA-owned buildings. See the GSA news release. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on May 27 announced the first-ever Energy Star label for clothes dryers. If all residential clothes dryers sold in the United States meet these new requirements, the utility cost savings will grow to more than $1.5 billion each year and more than 22 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented. Informed by extensive input from manufacturers, retailers, the Energy Department, and environmental groups, the new specifications will recognize a selection of highly efficient electric, gas, and compact dryers that will use approximately 20% less energy than what is required by the minimum efficiency standards effective in 2015. More than 80% of U.S. homes have a clothes dryer, and these appliances account for approximately six percent of residential electricity consumption. Dryer models that meet the new Energy Star requirements are likely to have improved sensors, which help reduce energy use by more effectively ending the drying cycle once clothes are dry. Among the more efficient gas and electric dryers that will earn the Energy Star, consumers should expect to encounter a promising new technology: heat pump dryers. These dryers recapture the used hot air and pump it back into the drum to dry more clothes. By re-using most of the heat, the technology creates a heat pump dryer that is more efficient and avoids the need for ducts leading heat out of the laundry room. To earn the Energy Star label, products must be certified by an EPA-recognized third party, based on testing in an EPA-recognized laboratory. In addition, manufacturers of the products must participate in verification testing programs operated by recognized certification bodies. See the EPA news release. | 
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