State of North Carolina

Background

North Carolina has been very active in improving facility efficiency through its Utility Savings Initiative (USI), which requires a 30% reduction in energy intensity by 2015. USI provides services to state agencies, UNC system institutions, community colleges, K-12 public schools, and county and municipal governments.

North Carolina is coordinating with state agencies and the University of North Carolina system to manage and reduce energy consumption and cost by benchmarking and tracking state buildings. State strategy includes the use of Performance Contracting as a potential funding mechanism and training programs to assist participants. The state provides onsite technical assistance to help participants identify opportunities to manage their utility consumption and costs. USI is partnering with ENERGY STAR to advance the use of Portfolio Manager, which allows monthly tracking of energy use in all public sectors.