The University of California today (Oct. 23) announced it has been recognized, along with its partners in the Higher Education Energy Efficiency Partnership, as a national leader in energy-efficiency programs by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research group based in Washington, D.C.

The partnership includes the University of California, California State University, California Community Colleges, Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and Sempra Energy's two California utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Co. The partnership is funded by utility customers through public goods charges and administered by the utility companies under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Programs selected for this honor were judged especially noteworthy for their effectiveness and innovation in helping customers achieve greater levels of energy efficiency in their homes and business facilities.

“These programs are delivering energy savings that are critical in helping customers cope with today’s high energy costs, plus they make an important environmental contribution because they help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Martin Kushler, ACEEE’s Utilities Program director.

“Programs such as California’s Higher Education Energy Efficiency Partnership demonstrate the very real value of energy efficiency to the customers they serve,” said Dan York, project director for the effort.

The partnership employs four key strategies to meet their goals: energy-efficiency retrofits, monitoring-based commissioning, emerging technology demonstrations, and training and education. This multifaceted approach delivers comprehensive savings, fulfills key elements in UC, CSU and CCC sustainability policies, and contributes to California’s national leadership in energy efficiency and climate change.

“This is the most successful energy-efficiency program serving the higher education sector. In fact, the program was designed and implemented to not only achieve sustained energy savings, but also influence energy policy in education institutions nationwide,” said Dirk van Ulden, associate director of energy and utilities for the University of California Office of the President.

ACEEE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to research and policy development to advance energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection. For more information: www.aceee.org.

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For more information on UC sustainability efforts:
www.ucop.edu/facil/sustain

For more information about the University of California:
www.universityofcalifornia.edu