Energy-efficiency leaders and advocates from around the world recently came together for the Energy Efficiency Global Forum in Washington, District of Columbia. The event, hosted by the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), featured two days of interactive presentations and discussions with senior energy officials and other experts focusing on government leadership, market transformation, the built environment, and investment and financing.
On the Road Again
The ASE used EE Global 2014 to officially launch its Energy 2030 On the Road campaign, which has already made stops in Seattle, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Energy 2030 campaign is working to build a network of engaged local stakeholders in a national, shared commitment to doubling U.S. energy production by 2030.
“Energy 2030 On the Road is an education and awareness-building campaign — but, most of all, it is an action campaign,” said Kateri Callahan, president, ASE. “To achieve the goal of doubling our nation’s energy productivity, we must galvanize action at all levels of government, in businesses large and small, and in homes across the country.”
Proponents believe Energy 2030 offers numerous nationwide benefits.
“By achieving the Energy 2030 goals, we can save American families up to $1,000 a year on their energy bills and add an estimated 1.3 million jobs to our economy that we desperately need,” added former New York Gov. George Pataki, Energy 2030 Leadership Circle co-chair.
The Energy 2030 Web portal, which went live during EE Global 2014, will broaden the scope of the campaign to reach energy advocates nationwide. The site, www.ase.org/policy/energy2030, serves as a platform for interested organizations to endorse the Energy 2030 goal, access resources, and share their energy-efficiency success stories.
Honoring Energy-Efficiency Visionaries
The Alliance also took time during the forum to present several Energy-Efficiency Visionary Awards. This year’s awards were given to entities for their pioneering leadership at the local, national, and regional levels to deploy energy efficiency and increase energy productivity. Recipients included actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, founding chair of R20 Regions of Climate Action; the Kingdom of Denmark; and Songdo, Incheon City, South Korea.
The Kingdom of Denmark was recognized for its progressive energy-efficiency policies and environmental standards. Ambassador Peter Taksøe-Jensen accepted the award on behalf of the country.
“I hope to prove that policies supporting energy efficiency and the environment have endless benefits,” he said. “Denmark aims to serve as a model for other countries across the world and is grateful to be acknowledged with this prestigious EE Visionary Award.”
As the “City of the Future,” Songdo’s International Business District in Incheon, South Korea, received an EE Visionary Award for implementing diverse policies and technologies in urban planning, efficiency, and conservation.
“I would like to congratulate the other award winners and express my extreme gratitude to the Alliance for honoring Songdo with the EE Visionary Award,” commissioner Lee Jong-Cheol said. “In Songdo International City, we’re excited to be growing together as a modern, energy-efficient city.”
Gov. Schwarzenegger was honored for his work in advancing energy efficiency during his tenure as governor of California and through his nonprofit, Regions 20.
“Decades of different governors and different parties have worked consistently, and this is why California is now 40 percent more energy efficient,” Schwarzenegger said in a video message from the set of “Terminator 5.” “I think the important thing now is to make the rest of the world 40 percent more efficient.”
Information courtesy of the Alliance to Save Energy. Legislation editor Jen Anesi contributed to this article.
Publication date: 7/7/2014
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