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Sector Collaborative

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The current U.S. energy system faces a set of serious challenges. Energy demand continues to grow despite historically high energy prices and mounting concerns over system reliability, energy security and independence, as well as air pollution and global climate change. The decisions we make today regarding our energy supply and demand can either help us deal with these challenges more effectively or inhibit our ability to secure a more stable, economical energy future. Energy efficiency is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to tackle these challenges.

The Sector Collaborative on Energy Efficiency is an opportunity for end-users from key sectors of the economy, electric and gas utilities, regulators, and partner organizations to jointly pursue the benefits of energy efficiency. An important Year Two activity of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, the Sector Collaborative brings these stakeholders together to:

Report: Sector Collaborative on Energy Efficiency Accomplishments and Next Steps (PDF) (80 pp., 495K, About PDF) This report, which presents the major findings of the Sector Collaborative through July, 2008, is designed to help gas and electric utilities, utility regulators, and energy users identify and act on cost-effective opportunities for expanding energy efficiency resources in the five commercial sectors participating in the Sector Collaborative. The report describes the barriers to cost-effective energy efficiency, documents how energy savings are valuable investments for participating sectors, identifies tools needed for implementation and evaluation of efficiency measures, and highlights new commitments and partnerships to increase efficiency investments.

What is the value of participating in the Sector Collaborative?

By participating in the Sector Collaborative, end users, utilities and others have a unique opportunity to work together in a sector-focused way to overcome the barriers limiting energy efficiency. Individually, many organizations have committed to improving their energy efficiency through federal, state, and other initiatives. The Sector Collaborative brings together expertise across these existing programs to support development of best practices and other new resources. Further, Action Plan commitments from end users participating in the Sector Collaborative bring a powerful collective voice to the national dialogue about how best to tap our vast energy efficiency resource.

Which sectors are participating in the Collaborative?

The Collaborative currently includes participants from the following sectors: hospitality, retail, commercial real estate, grocery, and municipal. These key sectors have significant opportunities for improvements in energy efficiency and share common solutions. The Collaborative may add additional sectors in the future.

How is the Sector Collaborative structured?

The Sector Collaborative is coordinated by the American Gas Association, the Edison Electric Institute’s National Accounts Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy. The Sector Collaborative has also formed a Design Team to guide the direction of the initiative. Current Design Team members include:

Additional organizations are invited to join the Sector Collaborative as participants.

The first Sector Collaborative meeting was held on June 27 and 28, 2007 in Washington, DC. This meeting included information-sharing from Design Team members and other leaders in energy efficiency and presentations of case studies to assist Collaborative participants in ascertaining how they might pursue an energy efficiency goal. There was an opportunity for participants to work in sector-specific break-out groups to identify barriers and needs, and agree to future actions.

For more information about the Sector Collaborative, contact Cindy B. Jacobs (Jacobs.Cindy@epa.gov).

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