Northwest Energy Efficiency Council

Nonprofit trade association of the energy efficiency industry

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SBX Opening Plenary Session: Smarter Buildings & a Changing Utility – A Vision of the New World of Energy

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The agenda for the free virtual Smart Buildings Exchange to be held August 24th and 25th is nearly finalized! The event will dive deep into the role of smarter buildings in a changing energy landscape through interactive conference sessions on grid-interactive efficient buildings, workforce development to meet the needs of the smart, clean and efficient buildings industry, and the business case for smart building investments.

Opening Plenary Session: Smarter Buildings and a Changing Utility – A Vision of the New World of Energy
The conference will kick-off on August 24th with a moderated discussion featuring senior thought leaders in the technology and utility sectors. Panelists include Mary Kipp, CEO of Puget Sound Energy, Debra Smith, CEO of Seattle City Light, Ed Schlect, CSO of Avista Utilities, Stephanie Greene of the Rocky Mountain Institute, and Emmanuel Daniel of Microsoft. Moderated by Ash Awad, President and Chief Markets Officer of McKinstry, this panel will discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the energy industry and how that affects the built environment. A new, cleaner, and more flexible electrical grid is coming. These changes will be facilitated in part by smart building technologies and practices built on the fast-growing power of cloud computing and information technology services. This is sure to be an exciting and informative discussion which will frame issues getting discussed throughout the subsequent two days of the conference.

View speaker bios

 

View the full conference agenda and register for free today!

Attend the Virtual GoGreen Conference on April 6th!

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Join NEEC at the virtual GoGreen Conference on April 6th for a full day of networking, peer-to-peer-learning and empowering dialogue on how to build a more sustainable future. This year’s program features innovative regional business leaders and organizations who are making dramatic shifts to build and reinforce cutting edge sustainability and social equity initiatives. Top priority content will be covered including Indigenous-led design, action taken to meet Climate Pledge goals, how to diversify the climate movement, how we succeed in meeting imperative decarbonization measures and more. View the full program agenda HERE.

As a proud Community Partner of the event, we are pleased to offer our network 30% off conference tickets – Register Now!

GoGreen Virtual Conference, April 6th

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Join us at the GoGreen Conference on April 6th for a full day of networking, peer-to-peer-learning and empowering dialogue on how to build a more sustainable future. This years program features innovative regional business leaders and organizations who are making dramatic shifts to build and reinforce cutting edge sustainability and social equity initiatives. Learn more and register today on the GoGreen Conference website.

Energy Leadership Summit, Nov 12th

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The Energy Leadership Summit is the region’s must-attend clean energy event. Presented jointly by the CleanTech Alliance and the Northwest Environmental Business Council, this unique event connects policy with practice and addresses the industry’s current challenges and future opportunities.

Join us in exploring the nexus of energy, climate change, and the region’s economy with more than 400 industry leaders and policymakers from across the Northwest. The region’s unmatched forum for learning, networking, and business development with content covering:

  • The Business of Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency
  • Policy & Economic Development
  • Clean Technology Innovation

Why Attend?

  • Gain an up-to-date perspective on the state of the industry, policy developments, and technologies.
  • Explore the forces shaping the markets for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
  • Learn the keys to successfully develop renewable energy projects.
  • Examine leading thinking in advancing efficiency.
  • Explore how to do business in the Pacific Northwest and with whom.
  • Discover opportunities for your business in supplying the energy industry.
  • Network with colleagues, partners, and customers.

Who Should Attend?

  • C-Level Executives, VPs, Directors
  • Energy Executives & Managers
  • Utility Managers
  • Economic Development Professionals
  • Government Agency Representatives
  • Regulatory & Legislative Professionals
  • Project Developers
  • Engineers
  • Consultants
  • Attorneys
  • Service Providers
  • Equipment & Technology Providers
  • Energy Investors & Financiers
  • Building Owners
  • Designers & Architects
  • Research & Academia
  • NGOs
  • Policy Analysts & Lobbyists

NEEC members get a 30% discount on registration with the code ELS-neec30.

Register Now!

Webinar: Advances in Energy/Building Code Development for EV Infrastructure, Oct 28th

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Advances in Energy/Building Code Development for EV Infrastructure
Date: Wednesday October 28, 2020
Time: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time

Why this topic: In the coming years, many new electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be purchased and deployed by residents, businesses, and public fleets in Washington. Learn from state and local experts what is currently required, and how future code development and updates can support installation of EV charging infrastructure for these new EVs.

Who should attend?

  • Everyone is welcome, especially staff from public works and fleets throughout Washington
  • Planning officials at all levels of government
  • Energy/building code officials and inspectors
  • Fiscal managers, accountants, budget writers
  • Decision-makers in government
  • Policy makers in government

Host: Jim Jensen, Director, Green Transportation Program

Speakers: Speaker details are provided below

  • Chuck Murray, Washington Dept. of Commerce
  • Andrea Pratt, City of Seattle
  • Kathleen Petrie, King County and the Regional Code Collaboration

How to Participate
This webinar will be presented as a GoToWebinar meeting. Register today using the link below. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar.

Register now!

 

Featured Speakers

Chuck Murray, Senior Energy Policy Specialist
Washington State Department of Commerce, State Energy Office
Chuck Murray has served the State of Washington for 29 years, providing original field research, project implementation and policy development in the energy efficiency field. Policy development has resulted in state legislation requiring incremental improvements in energy codes stringency, mandatory building energy benchmarking and a first-in-nation existing building efficiency standard. Chuck also helped the Governor’s office craft the EV charging infrastructure legislation included in the building code. Chuck supports development state capital funding for energy efficiency programs, including net zero low-income housing.

Andrea Pratt, Climate & Transportation Policy Advisor
Drive Clean Seattle Program, City of Seattle
Andrea Pratt has worked at the City of Seattle since 2011. In 2014, she authored the City’s Green Fleet Action Plan and managed a successful transition to biodiesel (B20) for over 1,000 fleet vehicles in 2015. Andrea was a lead developer of the Drive Clean Seattle initiative in 2016, which calls for a 50% reduction in fleet emissions by 2025. To that end, she is expanding alternative fuel use including biodiesel and renewable diesel blends, deploying green technology fleet wide and electrifying light-duty vehicles. Andrea manages EV infrastructure expansion, aiming to install over 400 charging stations at dozens of fleet locations, and spearheads green fleet policy and procurement efforts.

Kathleen Petrie, Green Code Specialist
Sustainable Cities, King County
Kathleen Petrie has worked with King County since 2017, where she leads development of the Green Building portion of King County’s 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across King County. Kathleen developed zoning, energy and building codes administered by the Permitting Department in close alignment with King County’s 2015 Strategic Climate Action Plan. She helped King County achieve a nationally recognized honor for removing barriers to installing solar energy technologies. When she worked with the City of Seattle, Kathleen founded the Regional Code Collaboration, a collection of jurisdictions from the Puget Sound region sharing expertise and resources to develop building codes and policies that address material, water, energy conservation and sustainable transportation.

Inflection Point: a post-election Climate Leaders Live conversation, Dec 3rd

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Inflection Point: Climate Leaders Live
December 3, 2020; 4:00-5:30 PM PST

Register Now!

No matter the outcome of the upcoming election, it’s clear we’re at a critical juncture for climate, clean energy, and a just economic recovery.

Join two incredible thought-leaders for a timely post-election conversation about what’s ahead moderated by Victoria Paykar, Climate Solutions’ Oregon Transportation Policy Manager.

  • Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson: a marine biologist, policy expert, and Brooklyn native. She is founder of the non-profit think tank Urban Ocean Lab, founder and CEO of the consultancy Ocean Collectiv, and co-creator and co-host of the Spotify/Gimlet podcast How to Save a Planet. She co-edited the anthology All We Can Save, and co-founded The All We Can Save Project in support of women climate leaders. Her mission is to build community around climate solutions. Follow her @ayanaeliza.
  • Majora Carter: a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award winning broadcaster. Majora is responsible for the creation and successful implementation of numerous economic development, technology, green-infrastructure projects, policies and job training & placement systems. Follow her @MajoraCarter.
  • Victoria (Vee) Paykar: Vee works on developing a strategic and equitable transportation agenda for electrification, lower carbon fuels, and a reduced need to drive, seeking to build a powerful, networked coalition of leaders and partners to urge action at multiple levels of government. Prior to joining Climate Solutions, she was an Environmental Equity Fellow at the Greenlining Institute and the Transportation Equity Associate at Center for Sustainable Energy. In those capacities she worked on programs and policies to deliver equitable climate benefits to low-income and communities of color.

While free to tune-in, this is also a virtual fundraising event for Climate Solutions and part of the launch of a multi-week giving campaign to help support our upcoming work in 2021 to accelerate the transition to a 100% clean energy economy.

For over twenty years, Climate Solutions has been working to accelerate the solutions to the climate crisis, and with your help and support, we can keep going. Now more than ever as we experience climate impacts, it is clear we need to accelerate the transition to 100% clean and efficient energy in the region and beyond. We need solutions like 100% clean electricity for our grid, cleaner fuels and electrification to power our transportation, and clean and energy savvy buildings where we work and live. With your help, we can accelerate the transition to a clean energy future.

Register Now!

Celebrate #EEDay2020 With Us Next Week

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The 5th annual Energy Efficiency Day is next week! Next Wednesday, October 7, more than 650 EE businesses, utilities, non-profit organizations and community members will join together to help spread their enthusiasm for saving energy.

What’s #EEDay2020 About?

  • Showing the positive impacts of energy efficiency, from creating jobs to improving our air
  • Sharing tips to save energy and money
  • Spotlighting people and technologies involved in the energy efficiency industry

NEEC is an official partner of #EEDay2020, and we’re inviting our members to join the fun. Your organization can support EE Day by registering as an official participant. Then, on October 7, share your favorite energy efficiency tips, resources and other content on social media (we even have sample posts to get you started).

Sign Up Now!

Webinar: 2020 City Clean Energy Scorecard

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Tuesday, October 6, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

Which cities are leading the United States in clean energy efforts and which are falling behind? Join us to learn and discuss the findings of the 100-city scorecard, the most comprehensive national report tracking city progress toward climate goals.

As cities struggle to safely put people back to work and recover from the COVID-19 recession, our speakers will explore what cities are doing and can do better to advance energy efficiency and renewable power — critical tools for creating jobs, lowering utility bills, building resilience, reducing pollution, protecting health, and mitigating climate change. Speakers will also focus on the ways their programs are based on community input and designed to serve all residents.

Register Now

Commercial Window Upgrade Opportunity

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For a limited time, buildings owners who upgrade their low-performing single or double pane windows with secondary windows can receive an incentive of up to $10,000 by participating in a field test run by Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), in partnership with local utilities. In addition to this incentive, owners will receive special pricing from the six participating manufacturers, 15-30% off the material cost depending on the manufacturer. Additional participant benefits may include incentives, professional photography and marketing, and technical support from NEEA. If you’re looking to improve your envelope, increase tenant comfort, and reduce outside noise and air infiltration, this is a great opportunity to leverage technical support and product discounts, while the building is empty or partially empty.

To see if your office or hospitality building qualifies for the field test or to learn more, email Jordan Pratt from Energy 350 at jpratt@energy350.com.

Seattle 2030 District Vision Awards…reimagined!

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This year’s Seattle 2030 District Vision Awards will be held online on October 15th at 4 pm PT! If you haven’t had the chance to attend one of their annual in-person events, now’s your opportunity. The hour-long program will feature the inspiring work from the Vision Award winners who have led notable sustainability projects or have significantly reduced emissions in transportation, water, and energy use in buildings. There will also be raffle tickets for some exceptional items and a silent auction to bid against other participants. This event is free; register here to save a seat: https://2030districts.ejoinme.org/register