After soliciting feedback from several State Energy Office and Affiliate members, the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will team up to bring greater awareness of the successful, voluntary, ENERGY STAR program and related tools for State Energy Offices (SEO) use in promoting energy efficiency.
“We are extremely pleased to renew our cooperation with EPA on the ENERGY STAR program and related tools that states have found such an effective means to promote voluntary energy efficiency actions,” said NASEO Executive Director, David Terry. “The NASEO ENERGY STAR Task Force offers a focal point for states to engage other states and EPA to learn first hand how to utilize this nationally recognized brand to aid consumers, businesses, and state and local government partners in saving energy and money.”
NASEO, through our Buildings Committee, will reconstitute the NASEO ENERGY STAR Task Force. The Task Force is open to participation from all NASEO State and Affiliate Members. Early state participants already include the State Energy Offices of Tennessee, Colorado, Utah, and Indiana along with NASEO Affiliate Members Schneider Electric, the National Electrical Manufacturers, Johnson Controls and Bosch.
Through the establishment of an ENERGY STAR Task Force, NASEO and EPA will work with NASEO State and Affiliate Members to develop policy and programmatic recommendations, resources, and best practices to be shared through the broader Buildings Committee and NASEO membership at-large. The Task Force will deploy ENERGY STAR resources and program models to accelerate state-wide efficiency efforts targeting state-owned buildings and key markets such as K-12 schools, commercial, industrial, and multifamily sectors. Additionally, State Energy Offices will work with EPA and NASEO to leverage ENERGY STAR in ongoing activities such as state energy planning, state-wide benchmarking programs, and efforts to streamline access to building energy data. In addition, the Task Force will make recommendations on the States’ specific needs for tailored ENERGY STAR education, training, and recognition activities.
Jean Lupinacci, EPA’s Director of ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Branch says, “EPA and NASEO have a long history of advancing energy efficiency by deploying EPA’s ENERGY STAR program offerings in states across the country. The ENERGY STAR Task Force will allow us to accelerate our work together in partnership with State Energy Offices and NASEO affiliate members.”
Given the renewed interest in ENERGY STAR among State Energy Offices, NASEO and EPA are also rolling out a five-part webinar series for states. The webinar series will provide an opportunity to engage states on the topic of ENERGY STAR, broadly, address specific tools, and share state successes. The series is designed for State Energy Office staff at all experience levels.
The webinars kick off March 10, 2016 and run through July 2016. Exact dates and topic areas can be found below. Details on registration are forthcoming.
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NASEO Energy Star Task Force Webinar Series:
March 10, 3:00 PM EST: Introduction to ENERGY STAR and Program Updates from EPA
April 21, 3:00 PM EST: Engaging Target Markets with ENERGY STAR
May 19, 3:00 PM EST: Best Practices for Successful State-wide Benchmarking Programs
June 16, 3:00 PM EST: ENERGY STAR Tools for State-wide K-12 Efficiency Programs
July 14, 3:00 PM EST: Leveraging Local Benchmarking Programs and Improving Energy Data Access