Northwest connects on the latest energy efficiency programs and strategies
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho — April 25, 2016 —The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), in partnership with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and utilities throughout the Northwest, are hosting the fourth annual Efficiency Exchange conference.
The region-wide event focuses on promoting technical innovation and new ideas in utility energy efficiency programs. This year’s event will be at the Coeur d’Alene Conference Center in Idaho on April 26-27, with tours on April 28.
“This is the biggest utility energy efficiency event in the Northwest,” said Richard Génecé, vice president of Energy Efficiency for BPA. “It's where utilities, implementers, contractors and policy-makers share ideas, best practices and strategies so that we can continue to drive the Northwest’s energy efficiency powerhouse.” Attendees will build new relationships, gain a better understanding of emerging trends in the industry, and learn about new products, programs and practices to consider in their own organizations.
This year’s conference kicks off with a general session on energy efficiency in the Seventh Power Plan, which the Council adopted in February. The plan concludes that energy efficiency is the key to meeting our region’s future demand for electricity. “The Council’s analysis found that energy efficiency can meet all of the Northwest’s anticipated load growth through 2035,” Council Chair Henry Lorenzen said. “It also provides a significant contribution to the region’s newly identified need for capacity resources which can help meet spikes in system demand. The Council is pleased to help sponsor the 2016 Energy Efficiency Exchange and to continue work with BPA, NEEA and other regional partners to promote this important resource.”
In addition to this topic, experts from around the Northwest will present on a range of issues, such as electric vehicle infrastructure, lighting and new methods of driving energy efficiency through data and behavior.
Attendees will also get an insider’s look at how energy-efficient technologies are tested, refined and applied to a number of local industries. The final day of the conference includes tours of the Fighting Creek Landfill Gas Project, Rohinni Lighting, and the Post Falls Hydroelectric Development, among other sites.
“The Northwest has been an established leader in collaborating on energy efficiency for the last two decades,” said NEEA’s executive director, Susan E. Stratton. “Efficiency Exchange brings together thought leaders and program experts to share new ideas and insights that benefit the whole region. Together, we are shaping our energy future.”
Between sessions, attendees can visit the Conduit Lounge and register, post and share information on Conduit, an online community that facilitates collaboration and coordination among energy efficiency professionals in the Northwest.
View the full agenda of the conference at efficiencyexchangenw.com.
About the Bonneville Power Administration The Bonneville Power Administration, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a nonprofit federal power marketer that sells wholesale electricity from 31 federal dams and one nuclear plant to 142 electric utilities, serving millions of consumers and businesses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana and parts of California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. BPA delivers power via more than 15,000 circuit miles of lines and 261 substations to 475 transmission customers. In all, BPA markets about a third of the electricity consumed in the Northwest and operates three-quarters of the region’s high-voltage transmission grid. BPA also funds one of the largest fish and wildlife programs in the world, and, with its partners, pursues cost-effective energy savings and operational solutions that help maintain affordable, reliable and carbon-free electric power for the Northwest. www.bpa.gov
About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is an alliance of more than 140 utilities and energy efficiency organizations working on behalf of more than 13 million energy consumers. NEEA is dedicated to accelerating both electric and gas energy efficiency, leveraging its regional partnerships to advance the adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices.
Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power more than 900,000 homes each year. As the second-largest resource in the Northwest, energy efficiency can offset most of our new demand for energy, saving money and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. www.neea.org
About the Northwest Power and Conservation Council The Northwest Power and Conservation Council is an agency of the four Northwest states of Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington. Under the Northwest Power Act of 1980, the Council develops a Northwest Power Plan to assure the region an adequate, efficient, economical, and reliable power supply while protecting, mitigating and enhancing fish and wildlife that have been affected by the construction and operation of hydropower dams in the Columbia River Basin. Through the power plan the Council sets strategies and establishes targets for energy efficiency in the region, and through the Regional Technical Forum the Council and other forum partners work to verify that efficiency measures implemented by utilities produce real savings. www.nwcouncil.org
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