During this webinar panelists explore the role of cities in supporting their local energy efficiency workforce. ACEEE provides an overview of the local efficiency workforce development landscape. Emerald Cities Los Angeles explains how cities can incorporate equity into these activities. New Orleans describes their energy efficiency workforce development programs with many local partners. Boston shares stories about its municipal building operator training program.
A recording of the webinar can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/ACEEEDC
Better Building Challenge - Webinar with the U.S. Department of Energybusinessforward
Through the Better Buildings Challenge, the U.S. Department of Energy works with leading commercial, industrial and multifamily building owners to make their portfolio of buildings 20% more energy efficient over the next 10 years. Partners commit to share energy data and innovative solutions. DOE provides technical assistance and recognition for this leadership.
Maria Vargas, Director of the Department's Better Buildings Challenge, U.S. Department of Energy, and Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, U.S. Department of Energy, discuss the DOE's Better Buildings program.
Connect with Business Forward
Web: http://www.businessfwd.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BusinessForward
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BusinessForward
How to reach the hard-to-reach (energy users)?Leonardo ENERGY
Energy efficiency is sometimes called "the greatest market failure of all times" - it makes so much sense, is imperative to achieve the energy transition affordably, and yet it remains difficult to achieve the energy efficiency potential that technological and policy innovations promise to deliver. Is this because our technological and policy advances fail to reach all energy users in the same way? We believe that there is a significant percentage of the human population who can be regarded as “hard-to-reach (HTR) energy users”. These are the people policymakers, utility programme managers and research experts often struggle to engage with when designing and rolling out technological and behavioural interventions. Their barriers and needs are different to those "lower hanging fruit" energy users we understand well. This HTR audience segment becomes even larger once we expand from hard-to-reach individuals and groups in the residential, to those in the non-residential, particularly the commercial sector – especially if we look across all fuels and energy services, including mobility. This, potentially very large energy user segment is the focus of this new research collaboration and we present our first findings in this webinar.
Better Building Challenge - Webinar with the U.S. Department of Energybusinessforward
Through the Better Buildings Challenge, the U.S. Department of Energy works with leading commercial, industrial and multifamily building owners to make their portfolio of buildings 20% more energy efficient over the next 10 years. Partners commit to share energy data and innovative solutions. DOE provides technical assistance and recognition for this leadership.
Maria Vargas, Director of the Department's Better Buildings Challenge, U.S. Department of Energy, and Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, U.S. Department of Energy, discuss the DOE's Better Buildings program.
Connect with Business Forward
Web: http://www.businessfwd.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BusinessForward
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BusinessForward
How to reach the hard-to-reach (energy users)?Leonardo ENERGY
Energy efficiency is sometimes called "the greatest market failure of all times" - it makes so much sense, is imperative to achieve the energy transition affordably, and yet it remains difficult to achieve the energy efficiency potential that technological and policy innovations promise to deliver. Is this because our technological and policy advances fail to reach all energy users in the same way? We believe that there is a significant percentage of the human population who can be regarded as “hard-to-reach (HTR) energy users”. These are the people policymakers, utility programme managers and research experts often struggle to engage with when designing and rolling out technological and behavioural interventions. Their barriers and needs are different to those "lower hanging fruit" energy users we understand well. This HTR audience segment becomes even larger once we expand from hard-to-reach individuals and groups in the residential, to those in the non-residential, particularly the commercial sector – especially if we look across all fuels and energy services, including mobility. This, potentially very large energy user segment is the focus of this new research collaboration and we present our first findings in this webinar.
Leading policy, industry, and technical experts highlight renewable natural gas as a climate strategy and current experience, trends, and opportunities in U.S. states and regions.
This deck provides an overview of renewable energy options for large utility customers in the US, as presented at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners conference in 2019.
Richard Cowart - Delivering Energy Efficiency on a Large Scale: Challenges an...noe21
http://www.managing-energy-demand.org
This seminar held on november 4 ‘09 in Bern, Switzerland, hosted international specialists in managing energy demand, mainly electric energy. Presentations concentrated on best cases in demand side management and regulation easing the way for DSM programs. The event was organised by noe21, a Geneva based NGO.
June 15, 2011
Matthew Summy's presentation from America’s Sustainable Future: How U.S. Cities Are Making Energy Work, an invitational conference of public-private partnership efforts from U.S. cities pursuing innovative energy management and smart grid initiatives. The assembled leaders in industry, research and policy-making will explore the diverse energy strategies emerging in Philadelphia and across the United States.
“We’re really looking forward to both learning from the great examples set by other cities represented in the conference, and showing off the groundbreaking work happening right here in Philadelphia,” says Laurie Actman, Viridity Energy’s director of strategic partnerships and public policy.
“With smart ideas and smart policy, we should be able to build support for smart grid projects and microgrids at the federal, state and local level.”"Energy technology is changing at such a rapid pace, it's crucial to examine who's doing it right in smart grid and microgrid projects all around the country," says Eugenie Birch, Penn IUR co-director.
"With the right policy moves—which we'll be exploring at the conference—Philadelphia can be a national leader in energy innovation," noted Susan Wachter, Penn IUR co-director.
Smart Energy Access and Women Empowerment: A Case Study of Chitandika Village...Dr. Amarjeet Singh
Smart energy access provides numerous advantages in rural areas such as economic development and improved livelihood. Despite the efforts by energy companies to supply to rural areas, women still face a range of constraints in their ability to participate in energy activities. Therefore, this study sought to analyze the goals of access to smart energy on women empowerment from the energy company perspective, assess the extent to which access to smart energy has contributed to empowerment and to establish the challenges faced by women in accessing smart energy with the intent of outlining strategies for future implementation. The study used a qualitative thematic analysis approach. The data was collected through structured, open-ended interviews with 20 women respondents with access to energy in chitandika village and 1 in-depth interview with the key energy expert. The study found that access to smart energy in chitandika village had a positive effect on women empowerment as it provided several benefits for the women. Additionally, the study established general and specific challenges that women face in accessing smart energy. Furthermore, it was established that the key strategies for implementing smart energy access on women empowerment were gender mainstream in energy projects, understanding women’s energy needs and demands, promoting productive use, supporting credit, and saving schemes and promoting skill development.
This deck examines existing clean energy goals that impact utility integrated resource planning. Presented by Heidi Ratz (Manager, U.S. Electricity Markets, WRI) at EUCI's Integrated Resource Planning Summit (September 2020)
Leading policy, industry, and technical experts highlight renewable natural gas as a climate strategy and current experience, trends, and opportunities in U.S. states and regions.
This deck provides an overview of renewable energy options for large utility customers in the US, as presented at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners conference in 2019.
Richard Cowart - Delivering Energy Efficiency on a Large Scale: Challenges an...noe21
http://www.managing-energy-demand.org
This seminar held on november 4 ‘09 in Bern, Switzerland, hosted international specialists in managing energy demand, mainly electric energy. Presentations concentrated on best cases in demand side management and regulation easing the way for DSM programs. The event was organised by noe21, a Geneva based NGO.
June 15, 2011
Matthew Summy's presentation from America’s Sustainable Future: How U.S. Cities Are Making Energy Work, an invitational conference of public-private partnership efforts from U.S. cities pursuing innovative energy management and smart grid initiatives. The assembled leaders in industry, research and policy-making will explore the diverse energy strategies emerging in Philadelphia and across the United States.
“We’re really looking forward to both learning from the great examples set by other cities represented in the conference, and showing off the groundbreaking work happening right here in Philadelphia,” says Laurie Actman, Viridity Energy’s director of strategic partnerships and public policy.
“With smart ideas and smart policy, we should be able to build support for smart grid projects and microgrids at the federal, state and local level.”"Energy technology is changing at such a rapid pace, it's crucial to examine who's doing it right in smart grid and microgrid projects all around the country," says Eugenie Birch, Penn IUR co-director.
"With the right policy moves—which we'll be exploring at the conference—Philadelphia can be a national leader in energy innovation," noted Susan Wachter, Penn IUR co-director.
Smart Energy Access and Women Empowerment: A Case Study of Chitandika Village...Dr. Amarjeet Singh
Smart energy access provides numerous advantages in rural areas such as economic development and improved livelihood. Despite the efforts by energy companies to supply to rural areas, women still face a range of constraints in their ability to participate in energy activities. Therefore, this study sought to analyze the goals of access to smart energy on women empowerment from the energy company perspective, assess the extent to which access to smart energy has contributed to empowerment and to establish the challenges faced by women in accessing smart energy with the intent of outlining strategies for future implementation. The study used a qualitative thematic analysis approach. The data was collected through structured, open-ended interviews with 20 women respondents with access to energy in chitandika village and 1 in-depth interview with the key energy expert. The study found that access to smart energy in chitandika village had a positive effect on women empowerment as it provided several benefits for the women. Additionally, the study established general and specific challenges that women face in accessing smart energy. Furthermore, it was established that the key strategies for implementing smart energy access on women empowerment were gender mainstream in energy projects, understanding women’s energy needs and demands, promoting productive use, supporting credit, and saving schemes and promoting skill development.
This deck examines existing clean energy goals that impact utility integrated resource planning. Presented by Heidi Ratz (Manager, U.S. Electricity Markets, WRI) at EUCI's Integrated Resource Planning Summit (September 2020)
The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon Univer...Amanda Finkenbinder, MPM
The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation works through the academic units of Carnegie Mellon University to find solutions for the nation's and the world's energy challenges including pathways to a low carbon future, smart grid, new materials for energy, shale gas, and building energy efficiency through research, strategic partnerships, public policy outreach and education.
The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon Univer...Amanda Finkenbinder, MPM
The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation works through the academic units of Carnegie Mellon University to find solutions for the nation's and the world's energy challenges including pathways to a low carbon future, smart grid, new materials for energy, shale gas, and building energy efficiency through research, strategic partnerships, public policy outreach and education
Presentation at Behavior Energy and Climate Change conference 2018 on the roles of chambers of commerce in promoting energy efficiency among small businesses. Chambers can be effective partners with gas and electric utility energy efficiency programs in successfully communicating the benefits of energy efficiency to their small business members.
Carnegie Mellon University Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation Amanda Finkenbinder, MPM
The Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University addresses the world’s most important energy-related challenges by enabling collaborative research, strategic partnerships, public policy outreach, entrepreneurship, and education. As one of CMU’s only university-wide institutes, we seek to optimize energy resources, reduce the environmental impacts of energy production and use, and develop breakthrough technologies and solutions that will have meaningful global impact.
A regulatory framework that that better aligns how utilities earn revenue with customer demands and public policy goals.
Given at National Symposium on Market Transformation on April 21st, 2015.
Energy efficiency is often regarded as the fastest and most
accessible means to achieve sustainability and reduce energy
costs. Using a framework developed from semi-structured
interviews of business owners, staff and personnel, this
presentation will analyze the relevance of various barriers to
energy efficiency experienced by commercial and small
industrial businesses across 7 industrial parks in the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan.
Preliminary analysis indicates that high energy costs in the
region pose a significant barrier to business expansion and
workforce development. To address this, the presentation will
also make specific technical and policy recommendations for
regional planners, showing how advancing energy efficiency
helps support local economic development and business
retention.
In the latest in MEEA's Marketing Energy Efficiency webinar series, Drew McCartt, Senior Vice-President at Event Marketing Strategies talks about how face-to-face marketing through events is impacting the growth of energy efficiency in the Midwest. Experiential marketing, utilizing interactive and mobile staffed displays, combined with traditional marketing, is helping utility companies educate consumers and market their lighting, appliance recycling, and enrollment programs.
Kevin Duffy with ICF International discusses the impact and marketing strategies used for We Energies’ community-based education and outreach program, “Way to Save, Burlington!” The pilot is designed to engage all segments of the community by encouraging behavioral changes and connecting customers to existing programs and incentives.
ZGB - The Role of Generative AI in Government transformation.pdfSaeed Al Dhaheri
This keynote was presented during the the 7th edition of the UAE Hackathon 2024. It highlights the role of AI and Generative AI in addressing government transformation to achieve zero government bureaucracy
Many ways to support street children.pptxSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
What is the point of small housing associations.pptxPaul Smith
Given the small scale of housing associations and their relative high cost per home what is the point of them and how do we justify their continued existance
Presentation by Jared Jageler, David Adler, Noelia Duchovny, and Evan Herrnstadt, analysts in CBO’s Microeconomic Studies and Health Analysis Divisions, at the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Summer Conference.
Understanding the Challenges of Street ChildrenSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Russian anarchist and anti-war movement in the third year of full-scale warAntti Rautiainen
Anarchist group ANA Regensburg hosted my online-presentation on 16th of May 2024, in which I discussed tactics of anti-war activism in Russia, and reasons why the anti-war movement has not been able to make an impact to change the course of events yet. Cases of anarchists repressed for anti-war activities are presented, as well as strategies of support for political prisoners, and modest successes in supporting their struggles.
Thumbnail picture is by MediaZona, you may read their report on anti-war arson attacks in Russia here: https://en.zona.media/article/2022/10/13/burn-map
Links:
Autonomous Action
http://Avtonom.org
Anarchist Black Cross Moscow
http://Avtonom.org/abc
Solidarity Zone
https://t.me/solidarity_zone
Memorial
https://memopzk.org/, https://t.me/pzk_memorial
OVD-Info
https://en.ovdinfo.org/antiwar-ovd-info-guide
RosUznik
https://rosuznik.org/
Uznik Online
http://uznikonline.tilda.ws/
Russian Reader
https://therussianreader.com/
ABC Irkutsk
https://abc38.noblogs.org/
Send mail to prisoners from abroad:
http://Prisonmail.online
YouTube: https://youtu.be/c5nSOdU48O8
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/libertarianlifecoach/episodes/Russian-anarchist-and-anti-war-movement-in-the-third-year-of-full-scale-war-e2k8ai4
A process server is a authorized person for delivering legal documents, such as summons, complaints, subpoenas, and other court papers, to peoples involved in legal proceedings.
ACEEE Local Energy Efficiency Workforce Development Webinar
1. Exploring the Role of Cities
in Supporting the Energy
Efficiency Workforce
ACEEE Webinar
July 26, 2018
About ACEEE: The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy acts as a catalyst to advance
energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. For information about
ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, visit aceee.org.
2. Today’s panelists
Mary
Shoemaker
American
Council for an
Energy-Efficient
Economy
Veronica
Soto
Emerald Cities
Los Angeles
Camille
Pollan
City of New
Orleans Office of
Resilience and
Sustainability
Adam
Jacobs
City of Boston
Department of
Environment
4. Size of the national energy efficiency
workforce
Source: Adapted from 2018 US Energy Employment Report (USEER) www.usenergyjobs.org/
5. Key issues facing the energy
efficiency workforce
• Energy efficiency establishments
expected to see 9% growth in
2018
• While poised for growth, the
industry faces challenges
• Replacing a retiring workforce
• Workforce is less diverse than the
national workforce
• Opportunity to influence and
nurture expected growth to
achieve diverse, local, robust
workforce
6. Developing a robust energy
efficiency workforce
Findings from ACEEE research, Through the Local
Government Lens: Developing the Energy Efficiency
Workforce
8. Key stakeholders for local
government
Before focusing on local strategies, it’s helpful to engage other potential
partners to leverage their workforce development efforts.
Source: Through the Local Government Lens: Developing the Energy Efficiency Workforce
aceee.org/research-report/u1805
• Energy Utilities
• Unions
• Energy efficiency industry-
support organizations
• State government
• Community-based
organizations and nonprofits
• Community colleges
• Weatherization providers
9. Local workforce development activities
Category Activity Examples
Workforce
development
goals
Align energy efficiency and workforce
development goal-setting efforts
Milwaukee, WI. Local jobs goal in
ReFresh Milwaukee
Training
programs
Offer workforce development programs
alongside energy efficiency policies
Vancouver, BC. Training and High
Performance Building Centre of
Excellence
Sponsor, promote, and/or facilitate third-
party training opportunities
Boston, MA. Utility-funded BOC
training
Job access
strategies
Enact inclusive procurement processes and
contracting processes for energy efficiency
projects
New Orleans, LA. City-utility training
and disparity study.
Portland, OR. Clean Energy Works
Portland.
Miscellaneous
activities
Support clean energy accelerators and hubs Los Angeles, CA. Los Angeles
Cleantech Incubator.
Form community partnerships Knoxville, TN. Knoxville Extreme
Energy Makeover program
Source: Through the Local Government Lens: Developing the Energy Efficiency Workforce
aceee.org/research-report/u1805
10. Equity & Workforce Development
Presented By
Veronica Soto, Program Director
July 26, 2018
11. Who We Are
Green
Our Cities
Strengthen
Our Democracy
Build Our
Communities
Help Build Equitable, Sustainable,
Resilient Communities.
12. Economic Inclusion Goals
• Address the demand (projects) and supply (workforce)
impacts of infrastructure investment and the green
economy.
• Expand access to high-wage careers and business
opportunities through comprehensive alignment of
workforce development resources and contracting and
procurement operations to benefit all stakeholders.
• Implement compliance systems and processes to ensure
transparency, accountability and validated public policy
outcomes.
13. Community
College
Industry
Partners
Immediate Outcomes:
• STEM Career Exposure
• Education
• Internships
• College Credit
• College-Ready
• Career-Ready
Options upon HS graduation:
• Community College/University
Enrollment
• Construction Management Internships
• Union Apprenticeship
Feeder
High School
Workforce Development-Youth
14. Workforce Development-Skilled Workers
Establish Pathway to Apprenticeship (Adult/Disadvantaged Youth)
Inventory and Alignment of Existing Resources & Workforce Partners
Training Curriculum (MC3 or other)
Union
Apprenticeship
Journeyman
Foreman
Superintendent
Company Owner
Union
Apprenticeship
Journeyman
Foreman
Superintendent
Company Owner
APPRENTICESHIP PATHWAY
15. Workforce Development-Contractors
E-Contractor Academy
• Seven-week seminar program
• Prepares small, minority contractors to
compete for energy efficiency projects
• Provides access to training and technical
assistance to grow competitive capacity
• Provides contracting and procurement
assistance to compete in the public sector
16. Workforce Development-Contractors
E-Contractor Academy Seminars
– Introduction to Public Contracting
– Introduction to Sustainability/Energy
– How to Bid
– Estimating & Scheduling
– Access to Bonding and Capital
– DBE/SBE/DVBE Certification
– Safety Training
– Labor Compliance & PLA
– LCP Tracker Compliance System Training
– Project Management
– Cash Flow Management
– Project Closeout www.e-contractoracademy.com
17. City of New Orleans 17
Camille Pollan
City of New Orleans’ Office of
Resilience and Sustainability
18. City of New Orleans 18
• Louisiana has an estimated 25k energy efficiency jobs (and 3k solar jobs)
• Downtown NOLA Energy Challenge (NOLA.gov/EnergyChallenge)
• Engages 40 of the largest buildings in downtown area to lower their energy use
• Targeting building engineers, operators, and managers for technical trainings throughout 2018
• Uses energy efficiency education and training programs to drive participation in Entergy New
Orleans’ incentive program (Energy Smart, administered by APTIM)
• Green Professional Operations and Maintenance (GPRO) Essentials course
• Teaches principles of high-performance construction to people who build, renovate, and maintain
buildings through the.
• Partnered with local workforce development organization the Urban League of Louisiana to deliver
• Also targets APTIM staff for training and communications to continue engagement with local
contractors
City of New Orleans’ Office of Resilience and Sustainability
19. City of New Orleans 19
• Raises awareness of city energy efficiency projects among small and disadvantaged businesses.
• In 2013, City Council passed a goal of having 35% of all publicly funded projects work with companies
certified as DBEs
• This ordinance also requires that the city create and maintain a publicly available registry of all
businesses or individuals certified as DBEs by the city or a city designee
• A 2017 study
• found disparities for MBE/WBEs in city utilization, rates of business ownership, access to capital
to start and expand businesses, and business failure rates.
• recommends expanded city support for these firms through the State and Local Disadvantaged
Business Enterprise Program.
• offered recommendations on how the city can increase opportunities for small businesses,
including MBE/WBEs, through city contracts and by working with the private sector.
• Through partnerships with US Green Building Council (Louisiana) and Delgado Community College,
trains small and disadvantaged businesses on green economy initiatives
City of New Orleans’ Office of Supplier Diversity
20. • Implementation team with more than 50% minority-owned, women-owned, and/or disadvantaged
businesses as delivery partners
• Worked to increase supplier diversity by providing local businesses with the necessary experience to
thrive and grow in the energy efficiency sector.
• Partners with multiple small, minority, and/or disadvantaged firms to deliver energy efficiency to
community members
• Engages with local stakeholders such as The Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA) to help
identify ways to extend incentives to affordable housing developers
• Supports contractor training initiatives in partnership with diverse local organizations
• Partners with nonprofits that are ineligible for supplier diversity certifications such as Urban League
• Works collaboratively with the Office of Resilience and Sustainability to support their mutual efforts to
deliver energy efficiency across New Orleans
Entergy New Orleans’ Energy Smart Program
(energy efficiency incentives administered by APTIM)
21. Boston - Utility Sponsored EE
Workforce Training
City of Boston, Environment Department
Adam Jacobs, Energy Manager
22. Energy Efficiency in Massachusetts
M.G.L. ch. 25, § 21 - Section 21. (a) To mitigate capacity and energy
costs for all customers, the department shall ensure that (...) electric and
natural gas resource needs shall first be met through all available energy
efficiency and demand reduction resources that are cost effective or less
expensive than supply.
Utility Type Electric Gas
Energy Savings % of
Forecasted Sales
(2016-2018)
2.93% 1.24%
Energy Savings
(MWh for electric, Dth
for gas)
4,117,539 8,580,962
Performance Incentive
at Design Level $100 million $18 million
24. Energy Efficiency Incentive Programs
Now what?...
PILOT Utility-Sponsored Building Operator Certification (BOC) Training
● 74 hour energy efficiency training (delivered over 8 days)
● Each class covers a different building system or subject
○ HVAC, lighting, controls, electrical, IEQ, benchmarking, etc.
● 30 public sector building engineers and facilities staff from Boston and
surrounding communities
● Eversource/National Grid offering tuition reimbursement upon completion
of training
25. Contact Us!
Mary Shoemaker, ACEEE
mshoemaker@aceee.org
Dave Ribeiro, ACEEE
dribeiro@aceee.org
Veronica Soto, Emerald Cities Los Angeles
vsoto@emeraldcities.org
Camille Pollan, City of New Orleans
cpollan@nola.gov
Adam Jacobs, City of Boston
adam.jacobs@boston.gov
Editor's Notes
To start, I think it would be helpful if we got a better understanding of the size and variety of the energy efficiency workforce. It’s pretty big and it spans quite a few different types of jobs.
Across the country, there are over 2 million energy efficiency jobs that exist in many traditional industries.
Earlier this year the National Association of State Energy Officials, Energy Futures Initiative, and BW Research Partnerships released updated workforce data for the energy industry – including energy efficiency jobs.
As you can see in this pie chart, most efficiency jobs occur in construction. These employees support the construction or installation of energy-efficient technologies.
The second largest slice of the pie goes to workers in the professional and business services sector. These employees work on software development, finance, management, and legal services. The third largest EE employment sector is manufacturing, and the smallest is wholesale trade, distribution, and transport.
Additional Info
They replicated the Department of Labor’s process to estimate jobs in other industries in order to estimate jobs in the energy workforce, and they identified about 2.25 million individuals either in part or in full on energy efficiency as of 2017.
NASEO and EFI 2018 count a job as an energy efficiency job if any amount of time is spent on energy efficiency activities. For example, they count HVAC installers who spend only a fraction of their time installing efficient units as workers in the energy efficiency industry. This is consistent with the Bureau of Labor Statistics methodology for estimating jobs by industry.
Professional/business services: Includes 449,800 EE jobs
Construction jobs: EE construction represents about 18% of the 7.1 million construction jobs across the US
Manufacturing: jobs involved in the manufacture of ENERGY STAR-rated appliances or other products like energy-efficient building and lighting services. Does not include process efficiency (e.g. manufacturers that produce foods using EE-equipment, machinery, or processes).
Wholesale trade, distribution, and transport: Includes 167,500 EE jobs
The good news is that the EE workforce is expected to grow 9% over the course of 2018. However, the industry still faces a few challenges.
EE businesses report that they are concerned they won’t be able to find qualified young workers to replace older workers who will soon be retiring.
Another challenge is that the EE workforce is less diverse in terms of gender and race than the national workforce
However, these challenges present an opportunity to influence the growth of this industry so that it happens in a way that strengthens communities, makes the workforce more inclusive.
Additional info
Construction employers report expected Energy Efficiency job growth of 11 percent by the end of 2018.
Other challenges:
While demand for EE jobs is projected to grow, this growth may not happen uniformly across the country
Funding for workforce development – whether from local, state, or federal sources – is uncertain
The variety of technologies and services for which workers in the EE workforce are trained, so there is no single education or skills path for the industry to pursue.
Last month ACEEE released a report on the role of cities in supporting their local energy efficiency workforce. To collect information for this report, we reviewed existing literature on this topic and interviewed 26 experts, including about 7 officials from city sustainability offices. I’ll provide a brief overview of our findings before turning it over to our guest speakers.
Local governments have quite a few options for supporting a robust energy efficiency workforce.
First, cities can leverage existing workforce development efforts led by community members, like nonprofits, utilities, and unions.
Second, cities can lead by example by supporting and hiring diverse contractors to work on city-funded efficiency projects in public and private buildings.
Additional content
Many cities have agencies that already focus on energy efficiency, economic development, or both.
City sustainability offices often administer energy efficiency incentives for community members or develop plans to achieve citywide energy savings or greenhouse gas reduction goals. W
Workforce development boards, coordinated at the local, state, or regional level, connect employers and prospective hires and support local businesses. Most workforce boards already work in the manufacturing and construction sectors, which encompass the majority of energy efficiency jobs.
I won’t get too far into the weeds with each of these stakeholders, but I would like to highlight how local governments can engage with a couple of them. To start, cities can:
Work with energy utilities to promote existing utility-administered efficiency training programs and incentives. Additionally, cities can work with utilities to identify new training opportunities where they are needed, as we’ll learn from Boston.
Local governments can also harness the expertise of students in energy efficiency-related fields of study at local community colleges to deliver city-led efficiency programs.
For more examples as to how cities can coordinate with each of these other stakeholders, I’d invite you to take a look at our report.
Additional Info
Unions
Determine which union-led energy efficiency training programs are available
Work with local unions to determine local energy efficiency workforce needs and use findings to inform city strategies
Energy efficiency industry-support organizations (trade associations)
Coordinate availability of local energy efficiency workforce to support implementation of existing and upcoming policies and programs
Facilitate relationships between state and national trade association chapters and community colleges so they can coordinate around jobs, skill set gaps within the industry, and industry-led teaching opportunities
State government
Promote and coordinate with state-led building energy code compliance trainings, energy efficiency incentives, and workforce development programs
Community-based organizations and nonprofits
Work with community-based organizations and nonprofits to identify and design energy efficiency training opportunities that meet the needs of community members, particularly from underserved populations
Community colleges
Connect community colleges with local workforce investment boards and chambers of commerce so they can update coursework to reflect local industries’ needs
Weatherization providers
Publicize weatherization training opportunities through one-stop career centers
Now that we’ve taken a birdseye view of the local energy efficiency ecosystem, here are the strategies we identified in our research.
1. We grouped these recommendations into four categories, the first of which is workforce development goals. Many cities establish energy efficiency or greenhouse gas reduction targets, as well as goals to create green jobs or support a particular number of job seekers across industries. Cities can align these goal-setting and long-term planning processes and embed equity throughout.
2. Our second bucket includes training programs. Cities often offer incentives for local residents and businesses to help them save energy, and they can offer training alongside these programs to ensure the local workforce is available. We recognize that local governments often have limited resources, so another option would be to support existing training programs, for example, led by nonprofits and associations.
3. Our third bucket, job access strategies, is not just about creating new jobs but about ensuring existing jobs are available to individuals in all communities, including low-income households and communities of color. This encompasses inclusive procurement activities, which I touched on earlier but Veronica will describe in greater detail.
4. Our last bucket is kind of a catch all. We came a across a few clean energy accelerators, incubators, or hubs, which cities can work to support. A couple of examples include the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Powerhouse in Oakland, and Potential Energy DC. Lastly, cities should collaborate with efficiency employers, community-based organizations, and others who can identify the highest impact workforce development pathways.
Alternative if time is crunched
There’s a number of things cities could do, from X to Y to Z, I won’t walk through it all now, but we’ll touch on some of these themes throughout this webinar.
Next up I’d like to introduce our first guest speaker, Veronica Soto.
Even if utilities and cities do not partner on programs, local governments can promote utility-led energy efficiency training efforts to residents and businesses.
minority- and women-owned businesses (MBE/WBEs).
Business ownership low particularly for African and Hispanic Americans in the construction industries
Delgado partnership includes a test preparation class for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design exam