Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy...
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the Nebraska Energy Office and ten key partners $300,000 to develop a comprehensive energy performance benchmarking and disclosure policy for state and local governmental buildings by 2020. The work is expected to get begin by early 2017.
The ten key partners are:
- The League of Nebraska Municipalities
- Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
- Nebraska Association of County Officials
- Nebraska Community Energy Alliance
- Nebraskans for Solar
- Nebraska Department of Education
- Nebraska Green Schools Program
- Nebraska Department of Administrative Services
- Nebraska Public Power District
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A workforce development component makes this an innovative approach to benchmarking. State and local employees will be given access to Building Operator Certification training, university students will collect and analyze performance data and a curriculum will be developed for use in high school classrooms.
The goal of the project is to:
- Benchmark all state buildings using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager and create a disclosure policy that requires an annual review.
- Implement workforce development for employees across local government and universities through education.
Through DOE's State Energy Program, the state will substantively advance energy efficiency and/or renewable energy, addressing a broad range of areas for advancement. Nebraska will leverage existing energy resources and State Energy Program funding to deploy programs that support energy efficiency. Several of the projects are multi-state partnerships, expanding the impact of the selected proposals.
State-led projects will culminate in replicable actions which other states and local governments can adopt to overcome barriers to new energy initiatives, and enable them to achieve greater public and private investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Since 2007, DOE's State Energy Program has invested more than $77 million in 42 states through competitive awards to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy that are consistent with national energy goals.
Find Nebraska's project descriptions on the State Energy Program Competitive Award Selections (2012-2016) web page.