The month of March represents many activities to celebrate: St. Patrick's Day, the first day of spring, the beginning of Lent, Daylight Savings Time, the month Coca Cola was invented, and most importantly, NCAA brackets! Now, with the understanding that it is unfair to place a higher importance on any of these things as its relative to each individual's beliefs, the one concept many of us forget is that there is life beyond March Madness. In fact, there is so much life that we must act now to preserve the wonderful resource that's been given to us for this life: our energy environment. [More]

Spring. With gentle breezes, blooming flowers, and warm sunshine, the season marks the beginning of fun outdoor activities—picnics, camping, hikes, and the classic American pastime—baseball. In the past five years, major league baseball teams have increasingly made strides in greening up their stadiums. [More]

As Paul Simon began singing "Here Comes the Sun" during his recent Colorado concert, the irony wasn't lost on his fans. They had just tromped from parking lots through an arctic night and heavy snowfall more fitting for Christmas than October. Only days before it had been a record 80 degrees. Even for hardy Rocky Mountain residents, the dose of winter was a shock, raising concerns among us about our unfinished home energy efficiency preparations.

But Simon's warm voice—and George Harrison's upbeat lyrics--helped ward off the chill. And it reminded me that we can be inspired to face energy challenges in a variety of ways. Sometimes we just need a little encouragement. Music, I believe, is an overlooked motivator for folks wanting to become more energy savvy. [More]

The spring-to-summer transition in Colorado can be anywhere from unnoticeable to shocking. Case in point: the last few weeks we've had afternoon showers, mellow temperatures in the 60s and 70s, and overnight low temperatures in the 50s (read: good sleeping weather). Not anymore. Suddenly it's bright and sunny, with highs in the 90s, and the sun here—since we are a mile closer to it than most U.S. cities—can make you feel like you're living under a magnifying glass.

All this is to say, summer is here and it's hot. So how can we keep cool without burning holes in our wallets? [More]

Editor's Note: This entry has been cross-posted from DOE's Energy Blog.

We have the video of the online town hall event with Secretary Chu up and ready for your viewing. Check it out below.




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"Keeping things simple" and "getting back to basics" are two ideals I naturally gravitate to. And while I'm not usually someone who makes New Year's resolutions, I am a big fan of top 10 lists. While pretty straightforward, these easy tips are great way to save money and energy throughout the New Year. So here goes, my personal top 10 ways to save money and energy in 2011.

1. Research alternatives for saving money on fuel, decreasing my carbon footprint, and increasing my vehicle's fuel efficiency.
2. Confirm I have my programmable thermostat set to the optimal settings. Turning back the thermostat by 10°–15° when I'm not at home can save me around 10% a year on my heating and cooling bills.
3. Check for air leaks and apply caulking and weatherstripping. While the improvements I made in the last 12 months have likely already paid for themselves, I'll double check I didn't miss any leaks and see if any caulk or weatherstripping needs to be replaced. [More]