Projects
The National Association of State
Energy Officials (NASEO) project
activities include energy research,
demonstration, deployment, data
collection, training, and analysis.
NASEO staff and project partners
work on issues ranging from the
efficient production of oil to
promoting cost-effective efficiency
improvements in our nation's schools
to conducting applied research on
new energy supply technologies to
promoting deployment of new wind
energy technologies to advancing
industrial efficiency. The common
link among these projects is that
they respond to specific needs
identified by the nation's State and
Territory Energy Officials - our
members. The projects are conducted
with the States and include support
from the private-sector and federal
and state governments. Following are
highlights and information on
current and past NASEO activities.
Ongoing Data Collection and
Dissemination Projects
State
Energy Program (SEP) Support
One of NASEO’s most critical functions,
is assisting State and Territory Energy
Offices in exchanging best practices and
ideas related to the State Energy
Program. Through structured meetings and
communications, NASEO informs states
about program options and suggests
opportunities for continuous improvement
in the delivery of services to all
citizens. SEP is the only federally
funded, state-based program administered
by the U.S. Department of Energy which
delivers resources directly to the
states, allowing them to determine how
best to target these cost-shared
resources. Using these funds and their
own resources, the State Energy Offices
deliver cost-effective energy efficiency
solutions in such energy end-use sectors
as buildings, industrial, agriculture,
transportation, and power generation. In
addition, NASEO works closely with Oak
Ridge National Laboratory on the SEP
data collection metrics project. The
results of this project illustrate the
effectiveness of the SEP program and
provide states, the Federal government
and other decision makers with
pertinent, up-to-date facts and
information on the program.
For the most recent NASEO SEP update
please visit the NASEO website.
Heating and Cooling Fuel Supply
Forecast
NASEO works closely with the U.S.
Department of Energy's
Office
of Energy Delivery and Electric
Reliability (OEDER) and the
Energy
Information Administration (EIA) on
a variety of energy data issues to both
collect and communicate vital energy
supply information. Each fall, NASEO and
DOE conduct the Winter Fuels Outlook
Conference attracting private-sector and
government experts to present their
views on the outlook for crude oil,
distillate, propane, electricity, and
natural gas supplies and prices. The
audience for the meeting includes State
Energy Offices, energy industry
representatives, government officials,
and major media outlets. In the spring,
the National Conference of State
Legislatures and DOE present the Summer
Fuels Conference, focusing on the
upcoming cooling season.
Heating Oil and Propane Data
Collection
Under the State Heating Oil and Propane
Program (SHOPP), The U.S. Energy
Information Administration (EIA) works
with a number of the State and Territory
Energy Offices to collect state-by-state
data on heating oil and propane stocks
on a weekly basis throughout the heating
season. The data is an important
component of the information analyzed
and released by EIA for use in
forecasting supplies and monitoring the
potential for disruptions. NASEO has
conducted workshops with EIA and the
participating states to review data
collection methods and analyze trends.
NASEO Representation of State Energy
Offices
National Wind Coordinating
Committee
Through a partnership with Resolve,
NASEO is assisting State Energy Offices
participate in
National Wind Coordinating Committee
meetings and workshops. In addition to
NASEO State Energy Director
representation on the Committee, NASEO
works with Resolve to provide travel
assistance to state energy officials
attending these meetings.
National Council on Electricity
Policy
The
National Council on Electricity Policy
(National Council) is a unique
venture between the National Association
of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
(NARUC), the National Association of
State Energy Officials (NASEO), the
National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL), National
Association of Clean Air Agencies
(NACAA) and the National Governors
Association (NGA). The National Council
also includes several federal members
including the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC), U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE), and the U.S. Environment
Protection Agency (EPA). Current
National Council activities examine two
interrelated issues: regional resource
planning and energy efficiency. Through
funding from DOE and EPA, the National
Council is implementing a work plan
designed to:
- Assess state authority in
regional planning;
- Develop tools and resources that
could, if appropriate, be used to
establish a framework for regional
planning; and
- Support state involvement in the
National Action Plan for Energy
Efficiency.
These efforts will result in research
and educational materials for state
energy officials and policy-makers. The
following sections provide details on
current and planned National Council
activities.
Delivery of State & Regionally
Focused Programs
Development of Combined Energy and
Environmental Programs
NASEO is leading an effort to promote
the adoption of state-based programs
that deliver both cost-effective energy
savings and emissions
reductions-combined energy and
environmental programs. For many years,
state energy and environmental officials
have operated programs that are, in
part, isolated from one another. NASEO
and other leading state-based
organizations saw an opportunity to
promote programs that both meet federal
emissions reduction targets and deliver
cost-effective energy efficiency and
renewable energy options. NASEO's
efforts to date have focused in two
areas: 1) improving the communications
and understanding of these complex
issues for both energy and air
officials; and 2) assisting in the
implementation of pilot program efforts
in select states. These efforts are
being implemented through the work of
NASEO’s Energy, Environment and
Transportation Committee.
Energy Emergency and Assurance
Coordination
With the U.S. Department of Energy’s
Office of Energy Delivery and Electric
Reliability and the National Energy
Technology Laboratory, NASEO assists the
States and Territories with energy
security training and technical
assistance to support coordinated State
and Federal energy security and energy
emergency planning. The efforts within
this project are threefold:
(1)Strengthen a communications protocol
for the States, Territories, and the
Federal Government to use and share
critical energy supply, demand, and
price information in the event of a
local, regional, or national energy
emergency situation and/or to utilize in
order to avoid an emergency situation;
(2)Support DOE in providing training on
the use of geographic information
system-based software and/or similar
tools, provided by the Federal
Government, which assists State and
Territory officials in identifying
potentially vulnerable energy
distribution points and critical energy
infrastructure; and, (3)Conduct the
Winter Fuels Outlook Conference held
annually in Washington, DC. This project
is coordinated in conjunction with the
National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commissioners (NARUC), National
Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL),
and National Governors Association
(NGA).
State Technology Advancement
Collaborative (STAC)
NASEO, the Association of State Energy
Research and Technology Transfer
Institutions (ASERTTI), and the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) signed an
agreement on November 14, 2002, allowing
States, Territories and the Federal
government to better collaborate on
energy research, development,
demonstration and deployment projects.
The signing ceremony established a
State Technologies Advancement
Collaborative agreement that allows
the States and DOE to move energy
research, development, demonstration,
and deployment forward using an
innovative project selection and funding
process (pilot program through 2007). To
implement this effort, the U.S.
Department of Energy provided a
cooperative agreement with funding for
an initial cost-shared solicitation of
research, development, demonstration,
and deployment projects.
Broadening ENERGY STAR Market
Transformation Efforts
In partnership with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
NASEO is assisting State and Territory
Energy Offices by leveraging existing
programs in the buildings and related
products sectors with the
ENERGY STAR efforts, tools, and
partners. As more State and Territory
Energy Offices operate an increasing
number of market transformation programs
aimed at particular classes of products
or buildings, new opportunities for the
integration and implementation of ENERGY
STAR Programs are emerging, and NASEO is
working with States to explore new
opportunities. Case studies provide
information and ideas on successful,
ongoing ENERGY STAR activities across
the nation, and NASEO is encouraging
cross-sector, regional activities aimed
at strengthening market transformation
efforts. In addition, NASEO and the EPA
are leveraging and expanding both State
and ENERGY STAR resources and programs,
and encouraging State-led and regional
ENERGY STAR programs that deliver energy
and emissions savings. The activities
under this project are guided by NASEO’s
ENERGY STAR Task Force.
In addition to NASEO’s partnership
with the EPA, NASEO has also worked
closely with the U.S. DOE on ENERGY STAR
programming efforts. NASEO expects to
continue a funded project with DOE
intended to facilitate coordination on
ENERGY STAR projects, including the
ENERGY STAR buildings area and Home
Performance with ENERGY STAR.
Additionally, through the ENERGY STAR
Task Force, states will be asked to help
define NASEO’s programming efforts under
this grant for the coming year.
Clean Energy and Environmental
Partnerships
NASEO is working in cooperation with the
US DOE and EPA to bring Clean Energy –
Environment Partners, and Clean Energy
Pilot States technical assistance and
other pertinent resources as partner and
pilot states work towards integrated air
quality and environmental programming
efforts. In addition to participating in
a DOE-EPA-NASEO joint work group, NASEO
is committed to finding ways to
disseminate project information to
states and facilitate peer-to-peer
exchanges; showcasing member successes.
Industrial Programming Efforts and
Coordination with State Energy Offices
NASEO will be working with the DOE's
Industrial Technologies Program (ITP)
on a new project to enhance the design,
align the priorities and promote the
implementation of industrial programs in
state and territory energy offices and
to assist in the dissemination and
replication of successful industrial
energy efficiency programs. To achieve
these goals, as part of DOE’s Save
Energy Now Initiative, NASEO will
collect and disseminate information on
best practices and offer peer-to-peer
exchange opportunities for interested
states and territories. Additionally,
NASEO and state energy offices will seek
to foster strong relationships with
private sector partners working towards
DOE industrial goals, such as the
Alliance for Materials Manufacturing
Excellence (AMMEX). States and
territories can become involved in this
work through NASEO’s Industrial
Committee and through other avenues
still in development.
NASEO Regional Initiative
NASEO’s new “Regional Initiatives to
Promote Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy through State and Territory
Energy Offices” program has the goal of
enhancing regional coordination efforts
between state and territory energy
offices and assisting in the
dissemination and replication of
successful energy efficiency and
renewable energy programs. Activities
are already underway that support
multi-state efforts in energy
performance contracting, Home
Performance with Energy Star,
benchmarking energy usage in buildings,
and biomass coordination. NASEO will
continue to work with states to help
them expand and enhance partnerships
with their neighbors and relevant
regional and national organizations.
Rural Business Opportunity Grant
NASEO, in partnership with the Oregon
Department of Energy and Mississippi
Development Authority – Energy Division,
are working to promote energy projects
in economically distressed counties in
Oregon and Mississippi. Both energy
offices have targeted “economically
distressed” counties within their states
to provide information and opportunities
for farmers, ranchers and rural small
businesses to improve the energy
efficiency of their businesses.
In coordination with the efforts of
Oregon and Mississippi, NASEO will
disseminate the results of these
projects to all state and territory
energy offices in order to garner
interest in creating similar programs to
target the needs of rural communities in
other states or regions.
Clean Energy Resources
NASEO, in concert with ICF International
(ICF), is working with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Clean Energy Environment State
Partnership Program to provide a vehicle
for EPA to collaborate with State Energy
Offices to remove existing policy and
program implementation barriers that
prevent cost-effective clean energy
options. Expected outcomes are to:
- Increase SEO understanding of
regional best practices to advancing
clean energy options and resources
available;
- Provide a venue for regional
peer exchanges on key strategies,
resources and potential partners;
- Provide information on tools and
analyses available to help assess
costs, benefits (air quality
improvements, greenhouse gas
reductions, economic development
benefits, cost savings, energy
savings, etc) and implementation
issues;
- Discuss barriers to further
development; and
- Assist in design, implementation
and evaluation of clean energy
programs that help to
cost-effectively address multiple
environmental, public health, and
economic goals.
International Programs
Shenzhen Eco-Charrette
The Shenzhen Eco-Charrette is a two day
workshop to evaluate opportunities for
the development of an exemplary energy
center for southern China through a
collaborative process. Owens-Corning, a
US based company with Asia headquarters
in Shanghai will partner with a local
non-profit organization, Shenzhen
Energy-Saving Association (SESA) to
organize the workshop. Decision makers
from various energy companies in the
community will be invited. Included will
be energy conservation product
manufacturers, utilities, government
officials, academic institutions, energy
efficient product retailers and consumer
representatives and other organization
in the energy conservation and renewable
energy product industry.
Anticipated outcomes for the eco-charrette
are:
- To establish “green” vision and
goals for the energy center project.
- To identify potential
stakeholders for the development of
the new energy center.
- To define selected green
building strategies for the energy
project.
- To set the foundation for a
high-performance team, fostering an
integrated design process.
- To define a schedule and process
for developing the energy center by
creating a comprehensive business
plan.
Green Buildings Workshops
Three Green Buildings workshops, one
each in Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing,
will focus on having US experts
demonstrate to Chinese developers how to
make a business case and earn profits by
constructing green buildings. The one
and a half day workshops will feature
Clark Brockman of SERA Architects and
Dennis Wilde of Gerding-Edlen
Development, both of Portland, Oregon.
Portland was recently recognized as the
”greenest” city in the USA and Mr.
Brockman and Mr. Wilde are major
contributors to this effort.
The workshop will begin by discussing
the Natural Step System, which is the
underpinning of the green building
movement. Next, defining green buildings
in the US and China will be discussed.
The final portion of the workshop will
layout a process for integrating design
considerations and development criteria
to create a green building that will
generate profits for the developer.
The anticipated outcomes for the
workshops are:
- To educate the Chinese
development community about how to
build green buildings and make
money.
- To identify specific processes
for building green and to give
examples of successful projects.
- To stimulate the development of
one or more green building projects
as a result of the workshop.
Event Information:
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