On Monday, Andrea pointed you to the redesigned EERE home page. While this blog usually focuses on resources from EnergySavers.gov and other sites that are specifically for consumers, we know that many readers are interested in broader energy efficiency and renewable energy information. That's where the EERE site comes in, with its information on the latest research, development, deployment, and Department of Energy activities. We truly want to make all of these resources useful for you, so take a look and tell us:

What do you think of the redesigned EERE home page?

Each Thursday, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments. [More]

The freshest energy news on the block this week is the newly designed eere.energy.gov. In case you haven't visited the site lately, the EERE site contains in-depth information about the U.S. Department of Energy's office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy.

The site is now better organized, with more visible information about the various EERE programs. There are also helpful links to various sources of information: [More]

It may come as a shock to my college math professor, but where my family's finances are concerned, I'm a budgeter. Just before a new month begins, I take some time to plan for the month's regular bills as well as any special events or holidays that might require setting some extra money aside. I even have a special notebook to track all this financial data (and shopping for a new notebook every year is half the fun of fiscal responsibility).

But as proactive as I am with my monthly budgeting, I tend to be reactive when it comes to my monthly utility bills. I take a guess at what my bill will be at the beginning of the month, and then I'm either excited when the bill is less than my estimate or—and this is much worse—upset when the bill exceeds my estimate, meaning I have to shuffle funds from some other part of my budget to cover it. Even with some recent efficiency improvements, the process of paying for my home's energy usage over the last few months has started to feel like a low-budget 1950's horror film called Attack of the 50-Foot Utility Bill. [More]

On Monday, Amy pointed you to the great stories on the Energy Empowers Web site. Whether you're looking for stories from individuals, communities, or industry, something on the site is sure to strike a chord. So take a look at the site and tell us:

Which Energy Empowers story has inspired you?

Each Thursday, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments. [More]

Earlier this month, Elizabeth made a quick mention of the Energy Empowers Web site in her blog post following the State of the Union Address. If you didn't get a chance to visit the site then, I really encourage you to spend a few moments surfing the site sometime soon. Through videos, slideshows, and the Energy Empowers blog, the site highlights the work of real people across the country who are using energy efficiency and renewable energy, much of it funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), to make a real difference in their businesses, their communities and in the lives of those around them. [More]

Last Wednesday, like so many others likely did, I found myself watching President Obama's State of the Union address. Now, admittedly, a sentence like that kind of invites a whole lot of thoughts and opinions, but I'm not thinking much about that—I'm just using it for a springboard for my actual topic.

So, I was watching the State of the Union, and I was paying particular attention to all his comments about clean energy. And while President Obama was talking about his plans and goals for the future, it made me think of a lot of the work that EERE is already doing. But, I thought, most people don't know some of this stuff exists, do they? [More]