Midwest Energy Group

In this Issue

Welcome to the MEEA Minute, our monthly newsletter, including news from MEEA and our members and allies, efficiency news and events from around the Midwest, and more. In this issue read about:

Illinois Appliance Rebates Finish Strong in One Day
MEEA Launches BOC Pilot in Michigan
Members—Join Us for MEEA’s Annual Meeting of the Membership
Thought Leadership Roundtable Coming to Wisconsin
Join Us for the Ohio Energy Expo
Lights for Learning Partners with Local Zoos
Susan Hedman named EPA Region 5 Administrator
New U.S. Hot Water Heater Standard
US DOE Releases Energy Code Compliance Guide
New Staff at MEEA
Member News—ComEd Reaches Appliance Recycling Milestone

Articles

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Illinois Appliance Rebates Finish Strong in One Day

Thanks to strong consumer demand and enthusiastic participation by 600 participating Illinois retailers, all of the state’s $6.2 million ENERGY STAR® appliance rebate funding was spent within 11 hours of the start of the program last Friday, April 16th.

"This program was an overwhelming success. Tens of thousands of consumers have new, energy efficient appliances at a savings. In the months to come, their energy consumption will be reduced and so will their energy bills," Governor Quinn said mid-day on that Friday. "Our hats are off to the retailers who participated in this program, some of whom are continuing their own sales even after the rebate program closes."

The program, a partnership between the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA), the State Energy Office at Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), enabled participating retailers to report their sales nearly real-time throughout the day to make sure the program did not overspend its funding. A final-hour decision to use funds from the state’s Energy Efficiency Trust Fund to extend the program to 7pm was made by DCEO.

"We wanted to make sure that people who worked all day were able to take advantage of this program when they got off the job. After tracking the pace of the sales, we decided to supplement the federal stimulus funding with dollars from a dedicated state energy efficiency fund, to extend the program through to 7 o'clock," said Warren Ribley, Director of DCEO.

Federally-funded rebates on ENERGY STAR® appliances totaled $6.2 million. Consumers received a 15% rebate at point-of-sale on qualified refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, dishwashers, and room air conditioners. An estimated $31 million in new appliances were sold by 5pm on Friday, April 16. 60% of the appliances sold were refrigerators and freezers, and an additional mail-in rebate is being provided for consumers to recycle their old units, www.illinoisenergy.org/appliances.

The program was the final phase of a three-part program designed to help Illinoisans reduce their energy consumption and provide a boost to local economies. Illinois received a total of $12.4 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to implement three phases of the program. The first and second phases, which closed earlier this Spring, offered rebates on water heaters and heating and cooling equipment and pumped over $35 million into the Illinois economy.

“Due to the tremendous popularity among consumers and the support and cooperation of retailers, the program was a smashing success,” said Illinois Retail Merchants Association President & CEO David F. Vite.

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MEEA Launches BOC Pilot in Michigan



MEEA has partnered with Consumers Energy to launch a pilot Building Operator Certification (BOC) program for Consumers Energy customers in Okemos, MI. Training will begin in late May 2010 and is the first BOC program offered in the state of Michigan to date. MEEA and Consumers Energy will work together to track participant satisfaction and energy savings resulting from the program through surveys with participants and supervisors. MEEA has planned another pilot program to begin in partnership with MEEA-member DTE Energy in the fall and is currently working with the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth to make the BOC program available statewide in the near future.

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Members—Join Us for MEEA’s Annual Meeting of the Membershi

We hope you will join us on Tuesday, May 18th for MEEA's Annual Meeting of the Membership at The Allerton Hotel on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. This exclusive member-only event provides both new and existing members the chance to learn about MEEA’s current policy initiatives and program opportunities and to meet and network throughout the day with MEEA’s Board of Directors and members.

At the meeting you will vote on candidates for the FY2011 MEEA Board of Directors. We will also have a panel discussion including several of MEEA’s founding members to reflect on the growth of energy efficiency in the Midwest and MEEA since our inception. The group will share their thoughts on future opportunities for energy efficiency in our region.

Members who will be in Chicago on Monday, May 17th are also encouraged to join us at the MEEA 10th Anniversary Celebration at The Allerton Hotel. Drinks and light hors d’œuvre will be served.

Please RSVP for the Meeting and the Reception by Thursday, May 13 by emailing Gloria Swanson at gswanson@mwalliance.org, or by phone at 312-784-7421. Because of space constraints, no more than 2 people from each member company can attend. Only MEEA’s primary member contact has voting rights. If you have questions regarding who your primary member is, please email Gloria. If you are a voting member but cannot attend the meeting, the 2010 Proxy Form can be downloaded from our website.

MEEA has secured a small block of hotel rooms at The Allerton at a reduced rate. Please call 1.877.701.8111 to book a room and mention "Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance." You can also reserve a room online by visiting theallertonhotel.com and use the promotional code "LOCMEEA" for the special rate.

Thank you again for your continued support, and we hope you will join us and your fellow MEEA members in May.

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Thought Leadership Roundtable Coming to Wisconsin

MEEA’s Thought Leadership Roundtable series is coming to Wisconsin on Monday, May 3. This Invitation-Only event will bring together MEEA Members, elected officials, government, nonprofit leaders, utilities, and other energy efficiency stakeholders to discuss the role of energy efficiency in Wisconsin’s energy future. Stakeholders will share their perspectives on realizing the potential of energy efficiency as a resource in Wisconsin. For more information about the Thought Leadership Roundtables, or to request an invitation, please contact Jessica Collingsworth at jcollingsworth@mwalliance.org or Stacey Paradis at sparadis@mwalliance.org.

MEEA's Wisconsin Thought Leadership Roundtables is made possible by the support of the Energy Foundation, Energy Center of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Utility Institute and MEEA members.

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Join Us for the Ohio Energy Expo

Join MEEA for the 2010 Ohio Energy Expo on Tuesday, May 11 at the State Capitol, West Plaza, in Columbus from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm. Legislators, commissioners, regulators, MEEA members, and other guests will join exhibitors from around Ohio to demonstrate the value of energy efficiency to Ohio’s economy and to learn how Ohio companies are working to advance energy efficiency and make an impact for the state’s consumers.

Energy Expos bring together energy services companies, utilities, manufacturers, and retailers to highlight the economic development potential of energy efficiency policies. This collaborative event will bring together all of the stakeholders with policymakers to find common ground to support and advance energy efficiency policies and programs.

If you wish to RSVP for the 2010 Ohio Energy Expo, or to sign up as a sponsor or exhibitor, please download the registration form. Email completed forms, RSVPs, and questions to Jessica Collingsworth at jcollingsworth@mwalliance.org or call her at 312.784.7247.

The 2010 Ohio Energy Expo is made possible by support from The Energy Foundation and MEEA members.

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Lights for Learning Partners with Local Zoos

As part of its annual Earth Day push, the Lights for Learning™ program is involved in two weekend events meant to inspire Chicagoland residents to make efficiency a part of their day-to-day decisions. On April 17th and 18th the program was featured at the ChicaGO Green Expo at Lincoln Park Zoo. This outdoor event allowed MEEA to showcase the L4L program and ensure that Illinois parents and students are aware that they can engage in “Fundraising with a Conscience.” Dozens of zoo visitors had the opportunity to ride the Energy Bike, take the ENERGY STAR pledge, and learn about the benefits of CFLs and LEDs.

Likewise, Lights for Learning will take part in a similar weekend event on May 1st and 2nd at Brookfield Zoo called Party for the Planet. The relationship between Lights for Learning and the Brookfield has grown over the course of the 2009-2010 school year in a variety of ways. Brookfield Zoo has now adopted a permanent CFL demonstration unit modeled after Lights for Learning’s Energy Bike. The Zoo has also agreed to feature the program in a series of more than 70 educator-oriented events taking place at the Zoo over the coming year. For more information on Lights for Learning, reach out to Chad Bulman at cbulman@mwalliance.org.

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Susan Hedman named EPA Region 5 Administrator

Susan Hedman, former MEEA Board Member, has been named the Environmental Protection Agency's Regional Administrator for EPA's Region 5. This region encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 Tribal Nations.

Regional Administrators are responsible for managing the Agency's regional activities under the direction of the EPA Administrator. They promote state and local environmental protection efforts and serve as a liaison to state and local government officials. Regional Administrators are tasked with ensuring EPA's efforts to address the environmental crises of today are rooted in three fundamental values: science-based policies and programs, adherence to the rule of law, and transparency.

"I look forward to working closely with Susan Hedman on the range of urgent environmental issues we face, in Region 5 and across the nation," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "At this moment of great challenge and even greater opportunity, I'm thrilled that Susan will be part of our leadership team at EPA. She will certainly play an instrumental role in our Agency's mission to protect our health and the environment."

Susan Hedman has extensive experience in the environmental protection field dating back to the early 1980's when she taught environmental policy courses at Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. Since 2005, she has served as Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's Environmental Counsel and Senior Assistant Attorney General, playing a role as chief negotiator for litigation and legislation relating to environmental protection, energy efficiency, renewable energy, carbon capture technology and associated consumer issues. Congratulations to Ms. Hedman, we look forward to continuing our work with her to advance energy efficiency.

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New U.S. Hot Water Heater Standard

On March 31, the US Department of Energy released new standards for hot water heaters that will deliver huge nationwide energy savings. DOE estimates that a 50-gallon electric hot water heater will save 4% of annual energy use, while a 40-gallon natural gas heater will save 3%. Hot water heating accounts for 12% of the typical energy use in a home, so this will add up to a major impact nationwide. Larger capacity hot water heating needs, over 55 gallons, must be met with electric heat pumps, which will save about 50% compared to conventional technology, or natural gas condensing hot water heaters, that will save 25% over current storage hot water heating technology. The new standard will save approximately 2.6 quads (quadrillion BTUs) of energy over 30 years, and about $8.7 billion in energy bills according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

The Final Rule, which also updates standards for tankless water heaters, pool heaters, and direct heating equipment, is available from DOE’s website. The standards established in the final rule will be applied starting April 16, 2015 for residential water heaters, and April 16, 2013 for residential direct heating equipment and pool heaters.

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US DOE Releases Energy Code Compliance Guide

The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Building Energy Codes Program (BECP) has developed procedures and tools for measuring and reporting compliance with building energy codes in each of the states. Several drafts of proposed methodologies were shared with stakeholders from whom feedback was requested, received, and incorporated into a final document entitled Measuring State Energy Code Compliance, which has been posted on the BECP website.

BECP anticipates developing and posting a shorter “how-to” version of this document for stakeholders wanting only the high-level recommended steps for measuring compliance. Additional support tools also being developed are listed at the above site.

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New Staff at MEEA

We are thrilled to welcome another new staff member to MEEA’s office. Gloria Smith joins us as our new Senior Accountant. Before joining MEEA, she recently served as Controller for the Howard Area Community Center in Chicago. Welcome to our second “Gloria S.” on the MEEA staff!

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Member News—ComEd Reaches Appliance Recycling Milestone

MEEA-member ComEd’s Smart Ideas for Your Home℠ program has reached a significant milestone with the successful recycling of 32,000 old energy-hogging refrigerators, freezers and window air conditioners. The appliances recycled from customers represent the equivalent of removing about 6,289 cars from the road or planting 9,386 acres of trees.

“ComEd will pay you $25 for old running second refrigerators, and by getting rid of inefficient appliances customers can save anywhere from $50 to $150 a year on their electricity bill,” said Val Jensen, vice president, Marketing and Environmental Programs, ComEd. “This achievement represents annual energy savings of about $7.7 million for our customers and with spring approaching now is a good time for ComEd to take that old fridge off your hands.”

The residential appliance recycling program, part of ComEd’s Smart Ideas℠ energy efficiency programs, offers customers an opportunity to receive a $25 cash rebate to recycle their older, working, low-efficiency second appliances. Older appliances can use up to five times more electricity than newer models and taking less-efficient appliances off the electrical grid reduces electricity demand while benefiting the environment. The appliance recycling program is one of the many ways ComEd is providing customers with information and tools they need to make wiser choices that will lower their electric bills, save them money and reduce environmental impacts.

ComEd partners with JACO Environmental to ensure that old appliances are dismantled and recycled in an environmentally responsible manner. To date, the appliance recycling program has prevented 95 percent of recyclable materials in old refrigerators, freezers and window air conditioners from entering landfills.

ComEd customers can schedule a pick-up for an old refrigerator or freezer by calling 1-888-806-2273 or signing up online at comed.com

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The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) is a collaborative network advancing energy efficiency in the Midwest to support sustainable economic development and environmental preservation.


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