The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a statement noting that, pending resolution of the ongoing regional efficiency standards litigation, it will not enforce its new rules regarding EnergyGuide labels for residential gas furnaces.

The executive committee of the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund has agreed to provide China, the largest producer and consumer of HCFCs, an amount up to $385 million for the complete elimination of its production of HCFCs by the year 2030.

Georgetown University is going solar with SolarCity on a project that is expected to cut the school’s energy bills by tens of thousands of dollars and reduce more than 600,000 pounds of carbon pollution over its lifetime. 

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has appointed Tommy Linstroth, owner and founder of Savannah, Ga.-based Trident Sustainability Group, a sustainability and green building consulting firm, as a 2013 co-chair for its Value Healthy and Efficient Affordable Housing advocacy campaign.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America Educational Institute (ACCA-EI) Standards Task Team (STT) has announced an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) public review period for an addendum to the current HVAC Quality Installation Specification standard. The public review period has a deadline of May 12, 2013.

ASHRAE announced that members now have increased opportunities to find a job in the HVACR, indoor air quality, and energy conservation fields through its expanded jobs board.

James M. Pleasants Co. (JMP), one of Xylem Bell & Gossett’s largest manufacturer’s representatives, has launched a new technical blog [http://jmpco.squarespace.com/]for mechanical contractors and engineers.

Utilities and vendors of building energy management systems (BEMS) increasingly find themselves with interlocking interests, and they are looking to each other to solve some of their most pressing issues, notes Navigant Research. 

Proliphix Inc. has announced the availability of new hardware and services designed to make intelligent energy management easier and more affordable for small to medium-sized enterprises, including multi-site retailers, branch banks, and educational institutions.

HomeServe USA, a leading provider of home emergency repair service plans, announced that it has reached the 2 million contract milestone. HomeServe has operated in North America for over a decade, providing protection from the expense of a variety of home emergency repairs including HVAC, plumbing, and electrical.