From the President's Desk: Alliance Rings in 2011 with Focus on Policy

We're already off and running with great policy initiatives, programs and events in 2011! Consider this a sneak peek – and expect more information in the coming days – on our Policy Perspectives Breakfast with Michelle Moore, Congressional Education Day, Great Energy Efficiency Day, Unsung Heroes Awards Reception, Annual Membership Meeting Luncheon and Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards nominations. What a list, and it all happens this quarter!

But before we get too busy, on behalf of all Alliance employees, I want to thank you. The Alliance grew tremendously last year – our staff, our board and our network of supporters like you – enabling us to play an even more significant role in advancing energy efficiency. With more than 175 Associates, we bring together a strong chorus of voices from energy services, buildings, retail, transportation, telecommunications, utilities, manufacturing, finance and more.

Your voices have helped us start off right in this “decade of energy efficiency.” While we struggled through challenges and disappointments in 2010, particularly on the U.S. policy front, our programs remained strong. Among the new wins we achieved this year:

• Our Energy Efficient Codes Coalition helped to push through landmark improvements in the national model energy codes.
• Our affiliate Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) enacted major energy efficiency retrofit programs in dozens of communities across the Southeast.
• We created a consumer-facing website, livingefficiently.org, as well as revamped our own Alliance website, ase.org.
• Our Green Schools Program expanded across the Southeast and around the world.
• We worked with members of E.U. government and industry leaders to establish an energy efficiency organization in Europe – the European Alliance to Save Energy (EASE) – that already is racking up policy wins at the E.U. level.

Moving forward in 2011, your important role in this organization and our mission remains top-of-mind. In fact, your feedback in the 2010 Associates Survey was critical in helping us understand what works and where we need to improve. Please view the survey data and read the summary reports by following the link in the Jan. 4 Associates Newsletter.

As a result of your feedback on the 2010 Associates Survey, look for the Alliance to:

• Return to our core mission to advance energy efficiency policy – outside the politics of climate legislation – by working with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and others to help craft energy efficiency provisions into a new, bipartisan bill that is dedicated to energy efficiency measures alone.
• Develop password-protected website content, enhance newsletters and increase direct contact with Associates to ensure that every interested member has access to information about our programmatic initiatives, so that you are aware of opportunities that align with your work.
• Re-evaluate the nature of our committees, particularly Policy and Programs, to encourage participation and two-way communication and make minutes available to all members online.
• Enhance awareness and quality of event series like EE Noon, while staying committed to top-reviewed events like Policy Perspectives breakfasts and EE Global.

This new year, let's make a resolution together: Let’s work through the Alliance’s Associates program to put energy efficiency at the top of the political, business and social agendas here in the United States and around the world!

I look forward to working with you in 2011, and receiving your input throughout the year on how we can better collaborate on our shared goals.  There's much work to be done, but we are in a unique position to make it happen.

Ringing in year two of the “decade of energy efficiency,”

Kateri Callahan