Congratulations to the 2017 Storm Drain Winners

As part of the RVA H20 initiative, four local artists have been selected to paint their designs onto storm drains along West Grace and Harrison streets. The winners are part of the 2nd Annual Storm Drain Art Project. The first contest painted storm drains near Tredegar Ironworks.

Donna Baily and Jennifer Haebel painted their designs in late May. Alison Tinker and Douglas Fuchs painted theirs the weekend of June 3-4.

To see the winning designs, go to Richmond Magazine.

Richmond Improves Its Efficiency Rankings by Eight Spots

Washington, DC—As the federal government weighs budget cuts to energy efficiency programs, cities are stepping up efforts to reduce energy waste. More mayors and local lawmakers in America’s largest cities are turning to energy efficiency to reduce energy costs for consumers and businesses, strengthen the resilience of their communities, and reduce pollution, according to the third edition of the City Energy Efficiency Scorecard, released May 11, 2017 by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Richmond improved its ranking by 8 spots to be No. 28 on the list.

“Across the nation, cities are taking steps to save energy, and they are creating more economically vibrant and resilient communities in the process,” said ACEEE senior researcher David Ribeiro, the lead report author. “More than half, 32, of the 51 cities improved their scores from 2015 to 2017, with several making substantial point increases. More cities are requiring building owners to benchmark and report buildings' energy use, updating building energy codes, and setting community-wide goals to save energy and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. We also see a new set of cities emerging as leaders for energy efficiency, knocking on the door of the top 10.”