Energy

Pittsburgh Region

• Energy Alliance of Greater Pittsburgh
  The Energy Alliance of Greater Pittsburgh consists of almost 100 companies and is supported by the staff of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and Innovation Works. They are advocating for policies that will encourage energy (especially natural gas) industries to flourish in the Pittsburgh region.
• Carnegie Mellon University: Scott Institute for Energy Innovation
  The newly established Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation focuses on the more efficient use of current energy; the expansion of clean, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy sources; and innovations in energy technologies, regulations and policies.
• Conservation Consultants, Inc.
  Conservation Consultants, Inc., a regional non-profit organization, works with local low-income families to help them lower their utility bills by using energy smarter.
• Duquesne Light Company
  Go to their Home Energy Center to use their Home Energy Calculator. The Home Energy Calculator provides a starting point from which you can compare potential energy-saving measures.
• Energy Inc. from the Pittsburgh Business Times
  Signup for the new PBT Energy Inc. email: the latest news on southwestern Pennsylvania's fast-changing energy market, direct to you each Tuesday. Lost of coverage of the Marcellus Shale.
• Equitable Resources Inc.
  a fully-integrated energy exploration, distribution, marketing and energy se rvices company headquartered in Pittsburgh.
• Green Mountain Energy Resources
  Getting as much electricity as possible from renewable resources like wind, water, and solar energy.
• International Pittsburgh Coal Conference
  An annual conference dealing with coal utilization both in the United States and internationally.
• Pennsylvania Home Heating Equipment Rebate Program
  Starting April 21, 2010, residents of Pennsylvania will be eligible to receive rebates for the purchase of qualifying high efficiency home heating equipment. Qualifying products will be non-electric ENERGY STAR-qualified water heaters, furnaces, and boilers.
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Coal's Power: Coal energy output outstrips gas, nuclear combined
  This is the first of a week-long series of articles from December of 2011 about coal: "The bedrock of Western Pennsylvania could be seen as coal, a key natural resource that has long been an economic generator. The energy industry may be changing but coal still runs through many parts of life here."
  • Coal's Power: Mining issues are overshadowed by shale gas boom
  • Coal's Power: New technology makes mines safer
  • Coal's Power: Pittsburgh region hosts cutting-edge coal research
  • Coal's Power: Brownsville Marine Products is revitalizing a Mon Valley plant
  • Coal's Power: Draeger equipment has evolved for 100 years here
• University of Pittsburgh Center for Energy
  The Center for Energy, housed in the Swanson School of Engineering, is dedicated to improving energy technology development and sustainability, including energy efficiency, advanced materials for demanding energy technologies, carbon management, and energy diversification.

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Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
  Information about the deregulation of electricity, the deregulation of gas, universal service discount program for schools and libraries (telecommunications), water and sewage companies.
  • PA Gas Switch
    This website from the PA PUC helps you shop for natural gas by finding and comparing rates and services in your area.
  • PA Power Switch
    This website from the PA PUC helps you shop for electricity by finding and comparing rates and services in your area.
• PA Sunshine Solar Program
  The Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar Program will provide $100 million in rebates to help fund solar electric (solar photovoltaic, or PV) and solar hot water (solar thermal) projects for homeowners and small businesses in Pennsylvania. The PA Sunshine Program is, as of Jan. 24, 2013 out of the Waiting List phase (since August 2011) and back in an active rebate mode.
• Choose PA Wind
  "By buying Pennsylvania generated wind for your home you are helping to secure a greener future for generations to come. In 2009, Pennsylvania was the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the US1 and by purchasing PA wind power you can help reduce Pennsylvania's carbon footprint."
• Community Energy
  Community Energy, Inc. (CEI) was founded in the fall of 1999, with the backing of several environmental groups, to develop and market clean, renewable electricity. CEI only sells new renewable energy, produced with no fuel and no pollution.
• Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association (MAREA)
  a nonprofit organization, dedicated to informing and educating the public on renewable energy production, energy efficiency, and sustainable living through meetings, workshops, educational materials, and energy fairs. They publish Pennsylvania Homeowner’s Guide to Solar Electricity.

• NEWBio: Northeast Woody/Warm-season Biomass Consortium
  Led by Penn State University, the Northeast Woody/Warm-season Biomass Consortium (NEWBio) is a regional network of universities, businesses, and governmental organizations dedicated to building robust, scalable, and sustainable value chains for biomass energy in the Northeast (NE). The food vs. fuel debate and the rising corn prices are driving the shift away from ethanol made from corn to developing second generation fuels from other biomass such as switchgrass and shrub willow.

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Web Sites

• ACEEE Consumer Resources
  The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) offers a "Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings" and Greenercars.org.
• American Petroleum Institute
  The API represents the American petroleum and gas industry and so is not a conservation group. It is, however, a source of recent news in the industry and of the industry's response to environmental concerns.
• American Wind Energy Association
  AWEA is a national trade association that represents the wind power industry.
• CASEnergy
  Clean and Safe Energy is a coalition advocating the use of nuclear energy. Their website has statistics on the type of energy used in each state. Nuclear energy makes up 35% of Pennsylvania's energy (coal: 55.7%).
• EIA: (U.S.) Energy Information Administration
  Check here for information, news and maps of various energy sources.
  • Pennsylvania Energy Profile
  • Natural Gas
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
  A website from the US Department of Energy
  • Energy Savers (Consumer tips to save money)
  • Clean Cities
    The Clean Cities Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, supports public-private partnerships that deploy alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and build supporting infrastructure.
  • Fossil Energy Web Network
  • Energy Information Administration
    Official energy statistics for countries throughout the world
• Energy in Depth (EID)
  Energy in Depth is a website produced by the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) which represents and lobbies for oil and gas producers. "Energy In Depth (EID) is a research, education and public outreach campaign focused on getting the facts out about the promise and potential of responsibly developing America’s onshore energy resource base."
• Energy Star
  ENERGY STAR was introduced by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products, in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. EPA partnered with the US Department of Energy in 1996 to promote the ENERGY STAR label, with each agency taking responsibility for particular product categories. ENERGY STAR has expanded to cover new homes, most of the buildings sector, residential heating and cooling equipment, major appliances, office equipment, lighting, consumer electronics, and more product areas.
• Green-e.org
  Green-e is a voluntary certification program for renewable electricity products. The Green-e Program sets consumer protection and environmental standards for electricity products, and verifies that Green-e certified products meet these standards. Electricity products that meet the Green-e Standard for environmental excellence are denoted by the Green-e logo. It is administered by the Center for Resource Solutions.
• Interstate Renewable Energy Council
  "A non-profit organization committed to accelerating the sustainable utilization of renewable energy resources and technologies in and through state, local government, and community activities."
  • Renewable Energy World
• NRDC: Clean Air & Energy
  From the Natural Resources Defense Council
• Power Scorecard
  The Power Scorecard is a rating mechanism that assesses the environmental impact of different types of electric generation. It was produced by a group of six nationally recognized environmental organizations: Environmental Defense, the Izaak Walton League, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the NW Energy Coalition, the Pace Energy Project, and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The website was created by the Pace Law School Energy Project, part of the Pace University School of Law's Center for Environmental Legal Studies, located in White Plains, New York.
• ReVolt: The Worldwatch Institute's Climate and Energy Blog
  Explores strategies for low-carbon development around the world, and reports on the latest revolutions in energy production and consumption.
• SunShot Initiative
  The DOE SunShot Initiative (formerly the Solar America Initiative) is a collaborative national initiative to make solar energy cost competitive with other forms of energy by the end of the decade.
  • Solar America Communities
    Pittsburgh is one of the cities committed to promoting solar energy.
• Union of Concerned Scientists: Clean Energy
  Offers publications on Clean Energy and Clean Vehicles.

International

• Ban the Bulb
  An international campaign to save money and help the environment by using energy efficient light bulbs.
• World Alliance for Decentralized Energy (WADE)
  WADE envisions a transition from the traditional central model of energy generation based on large, relatively inefficient and remote generating plants to a more modern system - one based on a hybrid of decentralized and centralized models with open and fair competition between generation sources. Check their collection of links for additional resources in power generation.
• World Energy Council (WEC)
  The leading global multi-energy organization with committees and activities in approximately 100 countries whose mission is to promote the sustainable supply and use of all forms of energy for the greatest benefit of all.