New program helps public-owned utilities access Federal funds

The Clean and Efficient Energy Program for public power (CEEP) is a new 3-year, nationwide initiative promoting investment in energy efficiency and clean energy by publicly owned utilities. (Artwork by CEEP)

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) represents a tremendous opportunity for utilities to invest in energy-conserving technologies and practices, and the Clean and Efficient Energy Program (CEEP) is gearing up to help public power providers make the most of it. 

The American Public Power Association (APPA), Large Public Power Council (LPPC) and Alliance to Save Energy launched this three-year, nationwide initiative in February on the heels of the historic economic recovery package. CEEP will provide utility managers with topical "toolkits" summarizing successful strategies and offering step-by-step guidance in program planning, design, implementation and evaluation. These tools will be tailored to the specific needs and constraints of locally-owned and -operated utilities, said Jan Schori, former Sacramento Municipal Utility District general manager and chair of the CEEP steering committee.  

Drawing on experience

Members of the steering committee come from public power organizations across the country and have drawn on their wealth of industry experience to create the toolkits. "There is no need for a utility to start from scratch, even if it doesn't have any energy-efficiency program now," said CEEP Program Director Emily Zimmerman. "Connecting utilities with existing information—case studies, white papers, even individuals—is a core part of CEEP's mission."

Fostering collaboration is another area where Zimmerman sees CEEP playing an important role. "ARRA will have opportunities unique to public power, as well as less obvious avenues of funding," she said.

For example, municipalities are substantial property owners, offering the possibility of injecting energy-efficiency improvements into infrastructure projects, such as housing or sewer systems. "Proposals that bring together several partners or work through joint action agencies have a better chance of getting funded, too," observed Zimmerman.

Interactive site, customizable solutions

Collaboration and working with tried-and-true programs are the twin themes of the first CEEP toolkit, debuting in June. The turnkey program models and downloadable templates will be available online. Eventually, CEEP will add a searchable database of case studies and program templates to its Web site.

The interactive site will allow visitors to customize searches for their utilities and upload successful programs of their own. The database is an open-source program with no membership required; however, users will need to enter some profile information to find specific programs. "Visitors will be able to say, 'this is the kind of program I need,' or, 'this didn't work for my utility because…'" said Zimmerman. "Our hope is that other users will answer back with solutions that worked for them elsewhere."

That conversation, along with input from topic-based user groups, is part of the process of turning one-time stimulus projects into sustainable programs ratepayers will support. "Dialogue and peer-review are how programs evolve, and how we track their success," Zimmerman said. CEEP's mission to promote energy-efficiency programs and practices to public power utilities pre-dates ARRA, she pointed out, and will be relevant long after the stimulus money has been distributed.

Bringing tools together

Funded by the Sea Change Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency, the steering committee first met last August. Laying the groundwork for CEEP required a profile of energy-efficiency efforts by region—where programs were concentrated, what type of programs already existed and what sort of support was needed.  

Initial findings turned up plenty of templates for successful energy-efficiency and conservation programs but little in the way of coordinated sharing. Zimmerman noted that utilities have done themselves a disservice by not recording their efforts more thoroughly. "The public has a perception that 'not a lot is going on in energy efficiency,' but that didn't turn out to be the reality at all."

The most immediate need is for a central resource where utilities can connect with program models, get guidance on implementation and talk with peers about how to improve and customize existing programs, she added.

Working through APPA and the Energy Center of Wisconsin, the committee also began developing case studies on topics that lacked documentation. Measurement is one area the committee found in need of more attention. Metrics provide a baseline in public power for expanding programs, Zimmerman said, and that translates into job growth and economic development.

Workshops, meetings introduce tools

The first toolkit is designed to help utilities that are new to energy efficiency build programs that have a future. It offers guidance for determining the scope of an energy-efficiency initiative, as well as suggestions for leveraging successful, existing programs.  

CEEP chose the APPA conference to roll out the toolkit because the event brings together members of the target audience in one place. The organization is also working with state and regional resource associations to introduce the tools at member meetings. Regional workshops, initially concentrated in the Southeast, will follow in July with more to be scheduled through December.

The workshops will offer something for utilities at each stage of program development. At the novice level, workshops will show utilities how to make a case for energy efficiency, while the programs workshop will cover selecting the appropriate program model. For utilities that already have programs in place, an advanced workshop will offer guidance on assessing results and identifying remaining opportunities.

And opportunities for public power utilities suddenly seem to be everywhere.  Whether it is improving customer service, aiding the community's economic recovery or reducing a business's environmental impact; CEEP is offering utilities tools for seizing the day—and building the future.

Resources

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Clean and Efficient Energy Program

American Public Power Association

Large Public Power Council

Sacramento Municipal Utility District

Resources (cont.)

Stimulus opportunities summary

Alliance to Save Energy

Sea Change Foundation

Environmental Protection Agency

Energy Center of Wisconsin
APPA 2009 Conference

People

Emily Zimmerman

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