Leadership in Energy Efficiency

The 15th annual conference will highlight the key roles leaders play in advancing energy efficiency in the Northeast. Speakers will cover topics ranging from the pivotal role regulatory leaders play in shaping the direction of energy efficiency to business leaders who turn policy into energy savings and make our region a trailblazer for efficiency program development.

Keynote Address - Matthew Beaton, Secretary of the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Secretary Beaton will discuss Governor Baker administration's energy initiatives, its perspectives on energy efficiency and how industry and regulators can work to move the state and region forward toward their clean energy goals.

New York REVs the Electric industry

New York State has embarked on an ambitious initiative to reform the state's energy industry and regulatory models. The hope is that this effort will lead to regulatory changes that promote more efficient use of energy, deeper penetration of renewable and distributed energy resources, promote greater used of advanced energy management products and empower customers by allowing them more choice in how they manage and consume electric energy. These truly are lofty goals, but with increased focus on demand management, renewables, and distributed energy, what are the implications for energy efficiency? What steps are being taken to ensure a balanced approach to meeting the policy objects of REV? The panelists will cover a range of topics including:

  • The role of energy efficiency after REV
  • Details of the REV regulatory framework
  • Demonstration projects proposed by utilities in their Efficiency Transition Implementation Plans
  • Implications for the utility business model
  • Impacts of moving EE programs to utilities and at the same time giving them more programming flexibility

Moderator: Adam Burke, Opinion Dynamics

Steve Mysholowsky, Section Manager, ConEdison (invited)

Mike Voltz, P.E.,Director, Energy Efficiency and Renewables, PSEG

It's Even Bigger Than You Think - How the Massachusetts Efficiency Industry has Changed Since the Passage of the Green Communities Act

Peregrine Energy Group and the Northeast Energy Efficiency Council are developing a report that explores the impact of the Green Communities Acts on the Massachusetts energy efficiency industry. Looking through the lens of the companies that make up that industry, the report addresses two questions: how has the industry changed since 2008, when the Act was passed, and what does the industry look like today?

-Marlana Patton, Director of Communications, Peregrine Energy Group

Lunch

EPA's 111(d) Clean Power Plan Could Increase Efficiency Impacts, Net Benefits and Total Value

The release of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan proposal starts the clock on what will be a multiyear process of review, analysis, planning, and implementation for states, affected sources, and other stakeholders. Depending on the outcome of this process and the methods by which states choose to comply, nationwide annual expenditures on utility energy efficiency programs could increase threefold, and the net electric system benefits from these programs could increase approximately 15 percent by 2030 solely due to their compliance value. These benefits would not only reduce the total cost of compliance but also reduce power prices. Inclusion of efficiency in Clean Power Plan compliance would make efficiency programs more cost effective and increase efficiency's risk management value to utilities.

This panel will examine these implications and discuss background and timeline of EPA's Clean Power Plan, building blocks to the best system of emission reduction (BSER), quantifying the value of energy efficiency as a compliance mechanism, and evaluation of the requirement by utilities in the northeast and their perceived role and plans for involvement in compliance.

Moderator: Matt Dugan, ICF International

Matt Gibbs, Director Energy Efficiency (Connecticut), Eversource

Chris MacCracken, Vice President, ICF Energy Advisory & Solutions Group

Customer Engagement

In recent years, the industry has placed tremendous focus on the engagement of residential utility customers in driving demand for efficiency programs and increasing customer satisfaction. However, business customers also play a critical role in the success of energy efficiency programs, and engagement of these customers is a key priority for program administrators. Session panelists will showcase different approaches for engaging this important, but often hard-to-reach segment. Efforts to engage customers will be discussed, including initiatives focused on showcasing and leveraging business leadership from the region.

Moderator: Laura Orfanedes, Fiveworx

Geoffrey Phillips, Customer Engagement Supervisor, Eversource

Lisa Cascio, Public Relations Manager, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP)

Reception

Conference attendees are invited to convene for beverages, light refreshments, and conversation.

Register