Governor’s conference sets regional energy goals, energy-efficiency standards

LENOX, Mass. – A conference of New England governors and five Eastern Canadian premiers focused on energy policy last week yielded several key agreements, including energy-efficient building goals and carbon-fuel standards.
Called by Mass. Gov. Deval L. Patrick, the meeting saw the governors and premiers agree to establish a goal to reduce energy use in buildings by at least 20 percent by 2020 and adopt the “highest energy-efficiency building codes to promote energy savings,” according to a statement from the governor. They also agreed to examine implementing a low carbon fuel standard – a market-based, technology-neutral policy to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels.
The governors separately agreed to petition the U.S. Department of Energy for a nation-leading 90 percent efficiency standard for natural gas and propane furnaces in New England. The average household would save about $3,600 in fuel costs over the life of a furnace. •