State Energy Officials Convene in Annapolis to Tackle Green Jobs, Energy Efficiency and Other Stimulus-Related Issues – Zoi, Rogers of U.S. Department of Energy Address National Association of State Energy Officials –
ANNAPOLIS, Md., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ — The largest-ever meeting of State Energy Officials convened in Annapolis, Md. today to discuss state and federal efforts to create green jobs, increase the nation’s energy efficiency and use of renewable energy, and tackle other issues related to the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Over 200 participants are attending the three-day Annual Meeting of the National Association of State Energy Officials, whose members typically are designated by governors to run their state and territory energy offices.
NASEO members are leading efforts to direct, invest and manage energy spending to maximize energy savings, generate private sector cost-shared investment in clean energy projects, and produce immediate economic benefits, including jobs. State and territory energy offices manage more than $3 billion of state funds annually in addition to much of the federal stimulus funding directed towards energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Among the speakers at the association’s Annual Meeting today were two appointed officials from the U.S. Department of Energy: Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and Matt Rogers, Senior Advisor to the Energy Secretary.
Recognizing the nation’s national security interests, climate change and the need to create jobs and improve the economy, Zoi said "now is a moment requiring mobilization on a massive scale" to affect America’s clean energy transformation. She announced a new $450-million program, "Retrofit Ramp-Up," to make energy efficiency accessible to every business and homeowner in the nation.
Rogers called the states a "core center of innovation" and said state efforts are "enormously important" to the success of the federal stimulus, including job creation.
"As a leader in clean energy, I’m proud that Maryland was chosen to host this meeting of state energy officials from around the nation," added Malcolm Woolf, director of the Maryland Energy Administration. "Annapolis’ historic setting is a perfect venue to discuss the unprecedented opportunity provided by the economic stimulus package to help families save money, create green-collar jobs, and accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy."
NASEO Members Elect New Board of Directors for 2009-2010
NASEO members elected the following executive committee officers for the coming year:
— Chair: Philip Giudice, Massachusetts
— Vice Chair: Malcolm D. Woolf, Maryland
— Treasurer: Ryan Gooch, Tennessee
— Secretary: Theodore Peck, Hawaii
— Parliamentarian: Roya L. Stanley, Iowa
About NASEO
NASEO members lead America’s State and Territory Energy Offices, which build on the unique resources of their states and regions to advance key energy goals, including:
— Improving energy efficiency in homes, commercial buildings, industry and agriculture;
— Opening markets for renewable energy, such as solar, wind, geothermal and biofuels;
— Promoting sound residential, commercial and institutional energy building codes;
— Transforming transportation by advancing biofuels, plug-in hybrids and other alternative fuels and vehicles;
— Delivering cost-effective and verifiable greenhouse gas emissions reductions;
— Developing and testing creative clean energy financing mechanisms (such as revolving loan funds), policies and market transformation programs;
— Supporting state research institution innovation of cutting-edge energy technologies; and
— Enhancing energy assurance and energy emergency preparedness.
The federal State Energy Program has proven effective at both reducing energy consumption and attracting state and private capital investment. According to a 2005 report by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, each $1 of SEP federal funds is associated with annual savings of 1.03 million source BTUs and a cost savings of $7.22. Also, each $1 of SEP federal funds is typically leveraged by $10.71 of state and private funds, making the federal money go much further.
For more information, visit www.NASEO.org.
For more information contact: Cary Brazeman, 310-205-3590 cary@thecorporatestoryteller.com
State Energy Officials Convene in Annapolis to Tackle Green Jobs, Energy Efficiency… | Reuters
