State Clean Energy-Environment Technical Forum

Materials for calls in 2008-2009

Materials from calls in 2007-2008

To provide opportunities for states to engage in peer exchange and learn about the latest programs and policies that promote clean energy, EPA created the State Clean Energy-Environment Technical Forum. The Forum explores analytical questions and attempts to resolve key issues surrounding state clean energy efforts, such as measuring air quality benefits, electricity demand reductions, cost savings, economic development and energy security improvements. Growing concern about climate change has only increased the interest of states in the latest clean energy technologies and how to best advance the adoption of clean energy in all sectors of the economy. Organized as a monthly discussion among state energy, environmental, and public utility commission officials, the Technical Forum features peer exchanges and expert presentations.

To supplement the discussions, EPA provides targeted technical support. This takes various forms, including executive briefs describing the policy or programs to be discussed, fact sheets, overviews of the barriers to be examined, summaries of success stories, where to go for more information, relevant data and tools, and sample emission quantification or quantification protocols.

How the Calls Work

Technical Forum calls occur every month, usually on the second Thursday from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The Keystone Center (www.keystone.org), an independent facilitation organization, works with EPA staff to design and facilitate the discussion to maximize learning and information exchange. For each Technical Forum call:

Participants receive a comprehensive briefing packet prior to the call;
State leaders describe their success stories and identify specific areas in need of further discussion;
Additional experts share data, insights, and analytical results;
Call participants discuss how to resolve analytical issues and leverage shared input into related follow-up calls and activities; and
Participants receive a summary of the discussion and responses to follow up questions.

Topics covered in the past year include:

State energy forecasting;
Gathering and using state-level energy data;
Using performance contracting for implementing energy efficiency;
Conducting energy efficiency potential studies
National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (NAPEE): A Vision for 2025;
Motivating energy efficiency with metering technologies;
The role of the public utility commission in promoting clean energy; and
State programs for emerging climate protection technologies.

Upcoming Topics

Based on feedback from participating states, tentative topics for the coming year include:

RECs;
Evaluation, measurement & verification of energy savings;
What is behind managing the electricity grid;
Pathways to zero load growth;
Approaches to whole building design;
Energy & water;
Climate adaptation strategies and planning; and
Biofuels.

EPA’s Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership Program

EPA’s Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership Program directs the Technical Forum with input and assistance from related EPA clean energy programs. The Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership Program is a voluntary program designed to help states review and adopt available policies and programs that effectively integrate clean energy into a low-cost, clean, and reliable energy system. The Program provides tools and analyses to advance state efforts that improve air quality and public health; increase cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy; reap economic benefits; and lower greenhouse gases. For more information, see www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/stateandlocal/index.htm.

For More Information

If you would like to become a participant, please contact: Julia Miller at (202) 343-9341 or miller.julia@epa.gov

For 2007-2008 agendas and presentations, click here.

Agendas and presentations from prior Technical Forum calls can be found at: