Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Rescue in a Box

Stimulus Funds Helping Houston Firm Give Out Free Home Fixes

Photo courtesy Sheltering ArmsPeople are sometimes suspicious when one of Scott Pool's inspectors calls. The offer -- to weatherize one's house for free -- sounds too good to be true. "We have to convince them that, really and truly, nobody's going to charge them," says Pool, the weatherization ... More >>

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Houston Actually Does Well On An EPA List

Oh, crap. The Environmental Protection Agency has put out another list.This can't be good for Houston.But.....it is?Yes, apparently so: Houston is the top city in Texas -- and the third in the entire country, behind two frou-frou California cities -- when it comes to the number of "green" buildings. ... More >>

Houston's Green-Buildings Ranking May Be Inflated A Little

Photo by alan5of5As we suspected, Houston's stellar ranking in the EPA's list of green buildings isn't necessarily all it seems.We spoke today with Patrick Kelly, the agency's coordinator of the Energy Star program here in Texas, and while the list is absolutely accurate -- there are 145 green build ... More >>

Bring It On

Why Houston should want a nuclear power plant

On Shaky Grounds

HISD got more than it bargained for when it decided to develop the Fourth Ward

Best Architect

HISD got more than it bargained for when it decided to develop the Fourth Ward

Do Your Part

HISD got more than it bargained for when it decided to develop the Fourth Ward

Houston Touts Its Clean-Air Credentials (Yes, Dammit, We Do Have Them)

Photo courtesy GHCVB​Everyone knows that Houston is the smog-riddled energy capital of the world, so it was with a touch of irony that the annual Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency Conference awards were announced this afternoon in Houston.Attendees from across Texas and other states, munching on ... More >>

Houston Scores Big In Fed's List Of Cities With Energy-Efficient Buildings

​Houston's air may be a national joke, but we do score the occasional surprise good showing in environmental matters.The Environmental Protection Agency today put out its list of the Top 25 cities with the highest number of energy-efficient buildings, and Houston came in a solid sixth.The EPA coun ... More >>

Electric Car: I Drove The Volt And The Volt Won

Photo by Danny LopezThe electric car is here, but you can't ride it yet​General Motors and Nissan are in a tight race that could go down to a photo finish. No, it's not the Corvette Z06 vs. the Nismo 350z. They're in a race to see who can get the first electric car on the US market -- the Chevro ... More >>

It's Not Easy Being Green: Houston Ranks Seventh in Energy-Efficient Buildings But Also in Ozone

Hazy shade of summer: smog season is right around the corner!​No one would ever accuse Houston of being the most environmentally friendly city in the world. We have long commutes, stagnant atmospheric conditions during the hottest months of the year leading to increased ozone, and more than ou ... More >>

Annise Parker Wins National Award for Making Houston Greener

Getting some (wind-powered) props.​What with all the electric cars and the green municipal buildings, Houston is maybe starting to ditch its reputation for being one of the more polluted cities in the country. Of course, there's still a boatload of pollution, but at least the city government i ... More >>

Electricity Grid Begins to Feel the Heat

That stretch down south won't ever stand the strain....​Get used to it: ERCOT, which manages the state's power grid, is asking people to conserve energy this afternoon until at least 7 p.m. because it is so freaking hot. "The ERCOT region is continuing to experience record high temperatures t ... More >>