Restructing Roundtable: Raising the Bar on Energy Efficiency in New England
Susan Rivo
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy's (ACEEE) 2009 Energy Efficiency Scorecard ranks five New England states on its Top Ten list of energy efficiency leaders - with Massachusetts and Connecticut at second and third place respectively, behind only California.
Not a region to rest on its laurels, New England continues to seek ways to accelerate and enhance energy efficiency in homes, businesses, and government buildings. Come and hear about the many new developments that have either been recently unveiled, or are in the works.
Our first panel focuses on Recent Developments in New England's Bedrock Energy Efficiency Programs - those largely funded by utility ratepayers. DOER Commissioner Phil Giudice will discuss plans to nearly triple utility-administered energy efficiency programs in Massachusetts by 2012. NSTAR Vice President Penni Connor will talk about how utilities are reorganizing to successfully meet this challenge. Then, from the North, we'll hear from Michael Stoddard, Executive Director of the newly-created Efficiency Maine Trust, which will take the reins on energy efficiency programs from Maine PUC in June, followed by Efficiency Vermont's Policy Director, Blair Hamilton, who has been a national pioneer in delivering ratepayer-funded programs. Panelists will consider ways to secure adequate funds to pursue all cost-effective energy efficiency, as well as to tackle hard-to-reach sectors like rental housing and oil-heated residences.
Our second panel, The Next Generation of Bold New Energy Efficiency Initiatives, contemplates what these kinds of initiatives can bring to the table and how they might dovetail with our core ratepayer-funded efficiency programs. Steve Cowell, Conservation Services Group CEO and President, (and recent President Obama lunch guest) has been spearheading the effort in Washington D.C. to establish a national energy retrofit program known as Home Star. Sue Coakley, Executive Director of NEEP, will discuss the organization's recent efforts to promote energy ratings and labeling for all buildings in the region, and will provide an update on NEEP's building codes and appliance standards efforts. Next, we'll hear about the promise of zero energy buildings from Ellen Watts, President of Architerra, who chaired the commercial working group of Massachusetts' recent Zero Energy Building Task Force. Finally, Harvey Michaels, Lecturer/Scientist for Energy Efficiency Strategies at MIT, will provide a preview of how we might begin to actually alter energy consumption behavior patterns through smarter technologies, software, and policy changes.
