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In response to new greenhouse gas emissions targets announced by California Governor Jerry Brown, 350.org Co-Founder Bill McKibben issued the following statement:

The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has selected 21 leaders to participate in its 2015 Executive Energy Leadership program (Energy Execs), which empowers executives to integrate clean energy solutions in their communities.

Ellie Mae® (NYSE:ELLI), a leading provider of innovative on-demand software solutions and services for the residential mortgage industry, has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in the Bay Area” by the San Francisco Business Times and the San Jose/Silicon Valley Business Journal for the third time. Ellie Mae was honored in the large company category (250-999 employees).

Benedict Group, Inc., a provider of loan servicing software for complex loans, announced today that their new CDFI loan tracking support is now available, and that this support has been approved by the Community Investment Impact System (CIIS), an organization that oversees regulatory reporting for this industry

While hydropower dates back to the early 1900s, many people are unaware of hydropower’s existing infrastructure since newer technologies, such as wind power, often take center stage. But don’t be fooled, the hydropower industry is anything but stagnant.

In support of the President’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, today at the National Hydropower Association Annual Conference, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David Danielson announced the release of the 2014 Hydropower Market Report, the first ever report to quantify the current size, scope, and variability of our nation’s hydropower supplies.

CEDIA has announced the panel of judges that will evaluate the home technology professional categories in the 2015 Electronic Lifestyles® Awards. Unveiling the judging panel was one of the key changes adopted for the CEDIA Electronic Lifestyles® Awards with the input of members and the Board of Directors.

The Alliance to Save Energy’s (Alliance) Board of Directors elected Jane Palmieri, business president of Dow Building and Construction at The Dow Chemical Company, to serve as Industry Co-Chair. Palmieri is the first woman to hold this post and the Alliance’s top three leadership positions are now all held by women: Palmieri, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Alliance President Kateri Callahan. Palmieri replaces Jorge Carrasco as Co-Chair, who is retiring from his position as General Manager and CEO at Seattle City Light and therefore resigning his seat on the Alliance Board.

This week the House Appropriations Committee approved by voice vote two fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations bills: Energy-Water and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs. Both the Energy-Water and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs bills were funded above their FY2015 enacted levels, with Energy-Water receiving a $1.2 billion increase and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs receiving a $4.6 billion increase.

“The administration’s Quadrennial Energy Review highlights the importance of electricity transmission to bringing our power grid into the 21st century and saving consumers money by making renewable energy more widely available."

First Lady Michelle Obama praised the renewable energy sector for its efforts to make good jobs available for U.S. military veterans, in marking the fourth anniversary of Joining Forces, the veterans advocacy initiative she co-leads with Dr. Jill Biden.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today issued the following statement on Congressional passage of the Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015 introduced in February by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH.)

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today celebrated Earth Day by announcing support for projects to improve rural water and wastewater services, promote renewable energy, and promote the efficient use of energy resources. I am proud to announce that USDA is providing more than $112 million in loans and grants to help rural communities build and upgrade their water and energy infrastructure systems," said Vilsack.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the top ten examples of sustainable architecture and ecological design projects that protect and enhance the environment. The projects will be honored at the AIA 2015 National Convention and Design Exposition in Atlanta.

For the second consecutive month, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) indicated a modest increase in design activity in March. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the March ABI score was 51.7, up from a mark of 50.4 in February.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Center South Building 1202 in Seattle, as the recipient of the Top Ten Plus award. The Top Ten Plus, now its third year, recognizes one past AIA COTE Top Ten Project Award recipient which has quantifiable metrics that demonstrate the true impact the sustainable design has achieved.

We agree with the findings of the Quadrennial Energy Review that a top priority should be placed on modernizing America’s electric grid to better accommodate renewable energy sources and the growth of distributed generation, such as rooftop solar.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the installation of five Village Green solar-powered air monitoring stations, fitted into park benches that will measure common air pollutants and weather conditions. The project puts science into the hands of citizens, allowing them to access local air quality information from the benches through on-site displays and a mobile-friendly website.

The U.S. energy system is in rapid transition, as aging coal-fired power plants give way to natural gas plants, solar panels, and wind farms. A column released today by the Center for American Progress argues that the United States needs to move even more aggressively toward renewable energy and away from fossil fuels in order to avert the worst impacts of climate change.