TDEC Launches Technical Assistance Program to Stimulate Energy Efficiency Investments in Local Governments and Public Housing Authorities
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau announced the launch of a new program to provide education, outreach and technical assistance to local jurisdictions and public housing authorities to support implementation of energy efficiency and energy management projects.
With a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, TDEC’s Office of Energy Programs and its subrecipient grantee, expert energy efficiency consultancy group Clean Energy Solutions, Inc., will educate local officials on the benefits of energy efficiency and provide technical assistance on cost-effective energy efficiency measures, such as: building audits and reviews; requests for proposals or requests for qualifications to scope energy efficiency improvement projects; collaborating with energy service companies; benchmarking energy and water usage; measurement and verification of energy savings; and procurement and contracting assistance.
The program will explore major financing options to support energy efficiency improvements, such as energy performance contracting, utility incentives, and utility bill repayments. Other financing options may be identified during the grant period, which currently runs through early 2016.
“TDEC is pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with local government and public housing authority partners in an effort to promote energy efficiency in the State’s harder to reach sectors,” said Commissioner Martineau. “We thank the U.S. Department of Energy for providing the funding for TDEC and its partners to provide often-needed technical consultation and support at the local level.”
Tennessee was one of sixteen states to receive a competitive U.S. Department of Energy State Energy Program 2013 award overall and just one of six states to receive an award in the “Public Buildings Retrofit” category. Additional information on the State Energy Program 2013 is available at http://energy.gov/eere/wipo/sep-2013-competitive-solicitation.
The program is available at no cost to local jurisdictions, including city and county governments, and public housing authorities in the State of Tennessee through January 2016. Interested agencies are encouraged to contact Luke Gebhard, Senior Program Manager of TDEC’s Office of Energy Programs, at 615-741-2994 or luke.gebhard@tn.gov.
About TDEC
With more than 2,900 employees working across the state, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is a diverse and dynamic department, serving the state by (1) safeguarding the health and safety of Tennessee citizens from environmental hazards; (2) protecting and improving the quality of Tennessee's land, air and water; and (3) managing Tennessee’s 54 state parks, 83 natural areas and a variety of historical or archaeological sites. For more information about the department, please visit www.tn.gov/environment.
Acknowledgement
The information, data, or work presented herein was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program, under Award Number DE-EE0006496.