Conference Registration is Closed

A waiting list has been established.  The conference expects several seats to become available in the last few days before the event.

11th Annual AESP-NEEC Annual Conference

Following a period in which economic, environmental and social concerns combined to bring extraordinary funding and opportunity to energy efficiency programs, Program Administrators are planning for the future and, with other industry observers, asking if the funding and political support will continue unabated.

This year’s Northeast Energy Efficiency Council and Association of Energy Services Professionals Annual Conference will examine the status of and challenges to the current support and funding, and how the region’s Program Administrators are responding to any uncertainty in their current planning.

Status and Future of Key Sources for Regional Regulatory Forecast

Proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auction and ISO New England Forward Capacity Market have played an increasingly important role funding the large regional ramp-up in energy efficiency program budgets and savings goals.  As the financial support for energy efficiency from these sources has grown, so too has the need to monitor threats to this funding.  This session will both consider the sources of regulatory funding for energy efficiency, as well as the challenges facing several states and key regional organizations and the implications of those challenges for energy efficiency funding in the region.

Moderator:  Bill Norton, Opinion Dynamics Corporation

·         Peter Shattuck, Carbon Markets Policy Analyst, Environment Northeast

·         Mark Sylvia, Commissioner, MA Department of Energy Resources

·         Eric Winkler, Project Manager, System Planning, Independent System Operator New England

New Efficiency Plans & Strategies to Get to 2015

Utilities and efficiency program administrators now have a few years of experience with growing efficiency goals and budgets and new strategies.  Utilities and other stakeholders will soon be engaged in another round of multi-year planning in multiple states.  How will new efficiency plans deal with the end of stimulus funding and the state of the regional economy?  Will goals continue to increase, and what new strategies will be required to meet them?

Moderator:  Fran Cummings, Peregrine Energy Group

·         Jonathan Schrag, Deputy Commissioner for Energy, CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

·         Mike Stoddard, Executive Director, Efficiency Maine Trust

·         Carol White, Director, Program Strategy - Massachusetts, National Grid

·         John Williams, Director, Energy Analysis, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Luncheon

Claiming Energy Savings:  Codes and Standards Compliance Activities

Legislation such as the Green Communities Act in MA but more broadly The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) is increasing the pace of adoption and stringency of codes and standards.  Traditional energy efficiency programs that have been in operation in many cases for decades are finding it increasingly difficult to pass regulatory cost effectiveness tests due to rising baselines.

Much can be learned from the rigorous activities performed in California over the past several years.  Delphi panels and major efforts have been undergone to tie utility program activities to the savings gained through codes and standards compliance.  Massachusetts is embarking upon a similar initiative.  It will be less rigorous than the California experience, but will look to leverage many of the lessons learned on the West Coast to ensure success in the Northeast.

This panel will encompass three different angles of the same issue.  The state regulators who are implementing increased codes and standards, the utility Program Administrators who are struggling with the cost effectiveness of their current program portfolios and meeting their regulatory mandated energy savings goals, and a practitioner who influences the whole process with building owners where the rubber meets the road.

Moderator:  Matt Dugan, ICF International

·         Tina Halfpenny, Director, Energy Efficiency, MA Department of Energy Resources

·         Puja Vohra, Program Manager, Codes and Standards, National Grid

·         Vernon Woodworth, Code Committee Chair, Boston Society of Architects

Building Energy Rating:  Helping Markets Value Energy Efficiency

Building energy rating and disclosure policies have emerged as an increasingly popular policy tool to help drive energy savings in the commercial building market.  The intent of these policies is to create more market transparency with respect to the energy performance of properties, which should therefore encourage greater investment in energy efficiency.

This panel will provide an overview of the key policy considerations when developing rating and disclosure programs.  These programs may include type and size thresholds for buildings to be covered, how and when disclosure requirements are triggered, and how performance results will be shared.  The technical considerations in choosing a rating system will also be reviewed.

·         Ian Finlayson, Manager of Buildings and Climate Programs, MA Department of Energy Resources

·         Sara Liasuska, Senior Manager, ICF International

·         Carolyn Sarno, Senior Program Manager, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships

Reception 

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

SPONSORS

Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund

Conservation Services Group

National Grid

NSTAR

CO-SPONSORS

Applied Proactive Technologies

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts

Competitive Resources, Inc.

Energy & Resource Solutions

GDS Associates

ICF International

Lime Energy

Navigant Consulting

Opinion Dynamics Corporation

Peregrine Energy Group