NEEC will be a participant in a process for review and recommendation on the role and responsibility of the Regional Technical Forum (RTF). The recently completed Northwest Energy Efficiency Taskforce recommended that a review committee be formed. The RTF plays a vital role in helping the Pacific Northwest achieve its energy efficiency goals by performing independent analysis of measure/program savings, developing monitoring and verification protocols, and developing deemed measures. Housed within the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC), the RTF has been operating largely with volunteer support for over ten years. The invitation letter to NEEC indicated that, ”[t]he purpose of the RTF Review Committee is to resolve the questions that have been raised about the RTF. These questions include:
- Confusion over the definition of who is an RTF stakeholder. This issue flowed from concerns raised about the objectivity of members, representatives and regional interests in decision-making and the overall composition of the membership.
- Questions about stakeholder definition quickly lead to issues of governance and funding expectations.
- While there is strong agreement that the core responsibilities of the RTF including the development of deemed savings values that are technically sound and well documented, there is less agreement around other potential roles. The report notes that the region presently lacks a shared sense of understanding about what the RTF’s role should be in the future.
- There is no clear understanding of how the work of the RTF is prioritized.
- Assuming there will be additional demands placed on the RTF, issues of adequacy of funding and staffing, information management systems and transparency of procedures were all identified as potential problems.”
The Review Committee is co-chaired by Tom Karier of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and Bill Drummond of the Western Montana Electric G&T Cooperative.