Event - 2013 ACEEE National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource

2013 ACEEE National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource will take place on September 22, 2013 in Nashville, TN. ACEEE’s (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy) National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource, a biennial event first held in 2001, is widely recognized as the premiere event for examining energy efficiency as a strategic and critical utility system resource. This conference draws together leading experts from a broad spectrum of energy industry stakeholders---including utilities, regulatory commissions, state government, consultants, manufacturers, environmental organizations, consumer groups and research institutes.

Energy efficiency’s importance as a utility resource has never been greater than it is now. The utility industry faces high power plant construction costs and growing cost recovery risks; high and volatile fuel costs; a new wave of environmental compliance costs; mounting concerns about system reliability, and increasing calls for action to address global warming. Energy efficiency is the least-cost response to each of those challenges. Moreover, improving energy efficiency in our homes, businesses and industries reduces energy costs, creates jobs and improves the environment.

As a result of all of these factors, many states have now established aggressive energy savings goals, pushing programs to achieve and sustain unprecedented savings. With these new requirements and goals come a variety of new challenges.

The ACEEE National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource is specifically designed to focus on the issues related to utility-sector energy efficiency policies and programs. We will be bringing together industry leaders once again to discuss the latest developments in the use of energy efficiency as a key resource for meeting customer and utility system needs and for addressing other critical economic and environmental objectives. This conference will highlight important advances being made in the design and delivery of customer energy efficiency programs, and in the regulatory mechanisms that help make them possible. We will address the many issues facing utilities as they acquire and integrate this resource into their planning and operations.

Objectives

To provide the latest information on significant state policy initiatives to incorporate energy efficiency as a utility system resource.
To present a range of examples of highly successful energy efficiency programs from around the nation.
To review and present leading examples of regulatory mechanisms that facilitate, encourage and reward successful utility energy efficiency programs.
To examine utility sector energy efficiency as a crucial tool in helping states to respond to high utility bills faced by consumers.
To highlight the important role of energy efficiency in pursuing environmental objectives.
To share the latest experience on the role of energy efficiency in addressing reliability problems and reducing peak demand.
To explore and share experiences regarding the prospects for energy efficiency and the smart grid, especially its relationship to demand-response.
To examine the potential for energy efficiency to help address local reliability issues, including transmission and distribution constraints.
To explore new and emerging issues associated with energy efficiency, such as water resource conservation, economic development and job creation.