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The Alliance has joined more than 80 utilities, government entities, large energy users, consumer advocates and other energy industry stakeholders from 42 states in launching an ambitious new initiative, the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, aimed at promoting utility investments in energy efficiency and recognizing efficiency as a key U.S. energy resource. The Alliance is part of the National Action Plan’s 50-plus member Leadership Group that is spearheading the plan by making specific commitments to drive investment in energy efficiency.
The Alliance has made the following commitments to help fulfill the goals of the National Action Plan:
- Endorses Action Plan Recommendations.
- Advance the mission of the Action Plan through ongoing advocacy efforts before federal, regional, state, and local policymakers, including:
- Advocacy of national programs, funding, and incentives to advance energy efficiency in the power supply, industrial, buildings, and transportation sectors;
- Development of a new initiative, directed at the 11-state, southeastern region, based on applicable Action Plan recommendations; and,
- Advocacy for stringent energy-efficiency building codes and higher minimum energy-efficiency standards for appliances and other equipment.
- Use the Alliance website and other communications tools to educate broad audiences and key stakeholders about the need for and benefits of full implementation of the Action Plan.
- Make available Alliance public communications staff and expertise to promote energy-saving measures to help consumers lower their home and vehicle energy bills and benefit our economy, environment, and national security.
- Provide Alliance technical and human resources to support efforts by utilities, utility commissions, government officials, and other stakeholders seeking to implement Action Plan recommendations.
- Provide energy-efficiency curricula for K-12 schools to help those schools, as well as colleges and universities, save energy in their own operations.
The Leadership Group consists of leading electric and gas utilities, utility regulators, state agencies, large energy users, consumer advocates, energy service providers, and environmental and energy efficiency organizations which recognizes that utilities and regulators have critical roles in creating and delivering energy efficiency programs to their communities and that success requires the joint efforts of the customer, utility, regulator, and partner organizations.
The Leadership Group is co-chaired by Diane Munns, Member of the Iowa Utilities Board and President of the National Association Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and Jim Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Duke Energy and a new member of the Alliance Board of Directors. The U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency facilitate the work of the Leadership Group.
Leadership Group recommendations include:
- Recognize energy efficiency as a high-priority energy resource.
- Make a strong, long-term commitment to implement cost-effective energy efficiency as a resource.
- Broadly communicate the benefits of and opportunities for energy efficiency,
- Promote sufficient, timely, and stable program funding to deliver energy efficiency where cost-effective,
- Review and adopt policies to align utility incentives with the delivery of cost-effective energy efficiency and modify ratemaking practices to promote energy efficiency investments.
The Leadership Group has developed the following tools and resources to facilitate action on energy efficiency:
- National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency Report. This report details the key barriers to energy efficiency in resource planning, utility revenue requirement mechanisms, rate design and the design and implementation of energy efficiency programs. It also reviews and presents a variety of policy and program solutions that have been used to overcome these barriers.
- Energy Efficiency Benefits Calculator. This calculator can be used to help educate stakeholders on the broad benefits of energy efficiency. It provides a simplified tool to demonstrate the business case for energy efficiency from the perspective of the consumer, the utility, and society. It can be adapted and applied to a range of utility structures, policy mechanisms, and energy growth scenarios.
- Outreach and Resource Materials on Energy Efficiency. A number of educational presentations on the potential for energy efficiency and various policies available for pursuing the recommendations of the Action Plan will be developed, drawing upon the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency Report. In addition, lists of policy and program experts in energy efficiency and the various policies available for pursuing the recommendations of the Action Plan will be developed.
For more information, see the EPA news release and the Alliance to Save Energy news release.
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