You may not know it, but the Nebraska Energy Office has two Energy Managers certified by the Association of Energy Engineers®. The U.S. Department of Energy announced that the Association of Energy Engineers® Certified Energy Manager® is the first certification program to be recognized under DOE's Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines program. The Certified Energy Manager Program is the most recognized credential for energy managers and has also achieved Association of Energy Engineers accreditation. With over 15,000 active CEMs, the Better Buildings Workforce has a large workforce of professionals in place to meet the growing demands of the energy efficient buildings marketplace.

Better Buildings® is a national initiative in which the U.S. Department of Energy works with partners to promote greater energy efficiency to save energy & money, create jobs, and protect the environment. The Better Buildings Workforce Guidelines were developed in partnership with DOE and the commercial energy performance industry to strengthen the growing energy efficiency market by certifying a highly skilled workforce.

Since 1981, the Certified Energy Manager credential has become widely accepted and used as a measure of professional accomplishment within the energy management field. It has gained industry-wide use as the standard for qualifying energy professionals. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Federal Energy Management Programs, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as by numerous state energy offices, major utilities, corporations and energy service companies.

Lynn Chamberlin and Bruce Hauschild are licensed Certified Energy Managers (CEM) for the Nebraska Energy Office. As CEM's they have helped in the approval process for countless energy efficiency projects; everything from energy efficient single family homes to multi-million dollar renewable fuels plants. Through their expertise and rigorous evaluation processes they have meticulously reviewed thousands of energy saving projects which have saved the state and its citizens millions of dollars that would have been lost through inefficient building projects. CEM's are re-trained and re-certified every three years to make sure they are up to date on the latest innovations in energy efficiency.

The Nebraska Energy Office's Certified Energy Managers have earned the right to put the initials "CEM®" behind their names, they have distinguished themselves among energy management professionals. Simply put, the designation of CEM®, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated high levels of experience, competence, proficiency, and ethical fitness in the energy management profession. By attaining the status of CEM®, these Energy Office staff members join an elite group of 17,500 professionals serving industry, business and government throughout the U.S. and in 25 countries abroad. These high-achieving individuals comprise a "Who's Who" in the energy management field.

There are several ways a Certified Energy Manager can help the state become more energy efficient:

• To help those currently engaged in energy management
• To improve the practice of energy management by encouraging other energy managers in the state to continue a program of professional development
• To identify persons with acceptable knowledge of the principles and practices of energy management related disciplines and laws governing and affecting energy managers through completing an examination and fulfilling prescribed standards of performance and conduct
• To recognize and reward those energy managers who have demonstrated a high level of competence and ethical fitness for energy management