CEE’s 2010 Gas Summit looks at present and future

Boston, MA—Decision makers from gas program administrators gathered at the CEE 2010 Gas Summit to continue the progress made over the past four years and plan for change. The Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) facilitated the event which gathered together a unique group of managers with responsibility for managing the portfolios at 22 CEE members and two prospective members.

Since the first gas summit, in 2006, number of gas program administrator members has grown from 21 in 2006 to 47 in 2010. Gas program budgets and expenditures have nearly quadrupled for the U.S. member organizations since 2006 and grown by 75 percent for Canadian member organizations since 2007. This growth has propelled expansion of portfolios and therm savings in both residential and C&I sectors. Community building and brainstorming to help maintain forward momentum and prepare for new developments in the industry were high priorities at the 2010 Gas Summit, while raising issues members feel need to be addressed in greater depth.

The objectives of the summit were understand the priorities are for CEE’s gas members by investigating how the gas efficiency program industry is changing; what infrastructure developments are needed to enable continued growth; and what possibilities can be seen for CEE to shape both present and future products and services for its gas members.

Scott Harrington of Vermont Gas stated “In my opinion as a participant in both Natural Gas Summits, I thought the 2006 Summit was a well facilitated groundbreaking event in which many of us in industry were finally able to see substantive movement on recognizing the immense energy saving potential that natural gas energy efficiency programs can generate today and in years to come. The 2010 Summit brought together a slightly different breed of participant, many of whom were operating relatively newer programs that were seeking guidance on enhanced measures and effective future delivery mechanisms for their programs. It was enjoyable from our own participation that we were able to offer as a long running program administrator our perspective on what works and what may not work in programs that operate in climates similar to our own.”

Steve Casey, Manager, Energy Efficiency Programs at New Mexico Gas Company said “This was our first attendance at a CEE Program Meeting, and we were pleased to be able to exchange ideas with our peers. The Gas Summit brought some important issues to the surface, and I look forward to continuing the discussion at CEE.”

Marc Hoffman, Executive Director of CEE, emphasized, “Gas is an essential pillar of CEE’s strategy to become a preeminent organization for market transformation. We are committed to support of natural gas efficiency programs, and committed to evolving as our members’ needs change. We now have more members wanting to do more, and at CEE we’re developing the infrastructure to enable that growth.”

Building on the successes since 2006, this year’s summit identified a number of topics that members said they wanted to delve into with their peers, including program design, program evaluation, policy affecting gas efficiency programs, new program opportunities (such as new end uses to explore), and program implementation and design in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.

Out of these, the participants chose four topics to pursue in greater depth: (1) better engaging gas efficiency members in dual fuel efforts at CEE; (2) CEE’s function of engaging contractors; (3) new program opportunities; and (4) supporting partnerships with electric utilities to achieve comprehensive energy savings for customers. The outcomes of these conversations will help steer the organization’s work in 2011, as well as suggest opportunities for further discussion among members.

Some of the questions posed to 2010 summit participants included queries about state or regional targets and program goals; motivations for natural gas efficiency programs; opportunities for achieving more savings; necessary conditions for taking advantage of those opportunities; and barriers to achieving greater gas savings.

Pete Catching of Energy Trust of Oregon said “We hope to have recommendations on actions that CEE staff and members can move jointly to address the issues identified in the small group break out sessions. Some of CEE’s existing outreach and referrals can be directed and leveraged in this effort, along with new initiatives.“ This work will continue to be carried out at CEE over the coming months as the Residential and Commercial Gas Subcommittees discuss work plans for 2011 and portfolio managers continue to discuss their needs for infrastructure development within the CEE forum.

Through events like this year’s Gas Summit, as well as continued partnering with organizations like the American Gas Association and Gas Technology Institute, CEE is striving to leverage as many resources as possible to bring programs together for the mutual benefit of all its members. CEE’s award-winning business model, described by Executive Director Marc Hoffman, is based on the idea of jointly discovering “what market transformation we can do together. Finding a shared vision, and where it pays to work together, is what we’re all about.”

For more information or to get involved in the CEE Gas Committee work, contact Kara Rodgers, Senior Program Manager, at 617-337-9262, or e-mail her, krodgers@cee1.org