Public power utilities are among the 2024 recipients of ENERGY STAR awards. The ENERGY STAR program is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
On March 26, the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency and its 17 member municipal utilities announced that they had received the 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award from the EPA.
“An ENERGY STAR partner since 2000, SMMPA and its members are being honored for their active and successful promotion of ENERGY STAR products to residential customers and continuous expansion of their portfolio to embrace new ENERGY STAR measures and initiatives,” SMPPA said.
SMMPA and its members also received ENERGY STAR awards in 2003, 2004, 2010, and 2016 for their leadership in energy efficiency.
Each year, the ENERGY STAR program honors a select group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to energy efficiency and the transition to a clean energy economy.
ENERGY STAR award winners lead their industries in the production, sale, and adoption of energy-efficient products, homes, buildings, services, and strategies. These efforts have saved more than 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity over the past 30 years, SMPPA noted.
SMMPA provides electricity and related services to 17 municipally operated utilities, mostly in south-central and southeastern Minnesota.
SRP
Arizona public power utility Salt River Project was recognized for Partner of the Year: Sustained Excellence-Energy Efficiency Program Delivery (The number of Sustained Excellence Years for SRP is nine).
SRP has encouraged energy and water conservation throughout its history and achieved a 70% market share for ENERGY STAR certified single-family homes across its service territory,
Key 2023 accomplishments include:
- Supporting the construction of more than 5,100 ENERGY STAR certified homes, for a total of nearly 57,000 homes since joining the program in 2012.
- Requiring additional HVAC and water efficiency measures in new ENERGY STAR certified homes built in the local desert climate, helping homeowners save up to $700 annually on their utility bills.
- Implementing a community incentive option for builders to prewire homes for electric vehicle charging stations.
- Leveraging ENERGY STAR messaging in its online marketplace to deliver incentives for more than 2,000 ENERGY STAR certified Level 2 electric vehicle chargers and nearly 30,000 ENERGY STAR smart thermostats, with estimated annual energy savings of more than 22,000 MWh.
“The ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award is a leading, multi-industry distinction that SRP is proud to receive for over a decade now, said Dan Dreiling, Director of Customer Programs at Salt River Project (SRP). “SRP focuses on reinventing ways to enhance customer awareness and delivery of our energy efficiency programs, and we know this continually adds value to the communities we serve.”
Lansing Board of Water & Light
Michigan public power utility Lansing Board of Water & Light received an Excellence Award for ENERGY STAR marketing.
Lansing Board of Water & Light conducted a multifaceted marketing campaign and crafted an educational program to limited-income schools in its service territory, both emphasizing the benefits of ENERGY STAR products and incentives.
Key 2023 accomplishments include:
- Emphasizing ENERGY STAR certified products through multiple marketing strategies and programs, with public events and presentations reaching over 3,000 residents and social media posts featuring ENERGY STAR products, averaging around 1,200 impressions.
- Performing promotional and educational efforts through its Think! Energy School, which included ENERGY STAR messaging in its literature and social media.
- Replacing appliances with ENERGY STAR certified models for low-income customers through the Hometown Help program.
- Distributing 65 rebates for a total of $2,800 in savings to customers for ENERGY STAR certified residential products.
“We’re honored the Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) has been recognized with this excellence award, which affirms our commitment to helping our customers save money and energy,” said Amy Adamy, BWL Public Relations & Marketing Manager. “We’re incredibly proud of this achievement, and remain dedicated to leading the way towards a more sustainable future.”
TVA
The Tennessee Valley Authority used the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager in its School Uplift program to empower schools in disadvantaged communities to make data-informed energy management decisions, sustain energy savings, and reallocate limited resources to educating children.
Key 2023 accomplishments include:
- Completing activities at 64 schools, resulting in more than $1 million in energy savings through low-cost or no-cost measures.
- Encouraging schoolwide participation in energy saving behavior changes by gamifying engagement in energy efficiency activities, such as tracking energy performance in Portfolio Manager and attending energy management coaching calls.
- Recruiting 109 schools with approximately 54,000 students and staff for the next program cohort, who will be trained to use Portfolio Manager and identify ways to reduce energy usage through low- and no-cost behavioral and operational changes.
- Establishing Portfolio Manager output data as viable for use within TVA’s annual power supply system planning.
“TVA is honored to be named an ENERGYSTAR™ Partner of the Year for our School Uplift program. TVA and our 153 local power company partners have worked to make a positive impact on the communities we serve, and children are our most important asset,” said Monika Beckner, vice president, TVA Energy Services & Programs. “Reducing energy costs and improving the quality of the learning environment for both students and teachers helps give every child the opportunity to succeed.”
The complete list of award recipients is available on the ENERGY STAR website.
