The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) held its 11th annual Midwest Energy Solutions conference last week and recognized energy efficiency leaders in five categories: Leadership, Education, Impact, Innovation and Marketing.
The Inspiring Efficiency Award recipients for 2013 were:
Education Awards:
- AEP Ohio, for its e3smart program, which has educated thousands of Ohio students about energy efficiency by helping them install and monitor energy-saving devices such as LED nightlights at home.
- Xcel Energy and the Greater St. Paul and Greater Minneapolis Building Owners and Managers Associations (BOMA) for the Kilowatt Crackdown campaign, which took more than 13 million kWh off the grid by challenging Twin Cities business owners to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.
Impact Award:
- Xcel Energy, for its Computer Efficiency rebate program, which encourages computer companies to manufacture and sell more energy-efficient PCs to customers in Xcel’s Minnesota service area. The program has achieved a total energy savings of nearly 33 million kWh to date and driven energy efficiency advancements to the overall PC market.
Innovation Award:
- The Ohio Development Services Agency’s Office of Energy, for its program that helps Ohio manufacturers identify and implement energy-saving measures to cut electricity costs and be more competitive with manufacturers in other countries.
Marketing Award:
- Nicor Gas, for its “Summer Staycation” campaign that encouraged customers to purchase high-efficiency products for their homes by packaging rebates together in a fun and innovative way.
Leadership Award:
- Former Commissioner Cheryl Roberto of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, for her leadership to tackle complex regulatory issues and promote energy efficiency initiatives in her state and at the national level.
Chairman’s Award:
- Sam Sirkin, program development manager at JACO Environmental for his longstanding promotion of energy efficiency programs and his many years of service and dedication to MEEA. The MEEA conference brings together a range of private- and public-sector thought leaders in energy strategy, policy, technology and program design and implementation.