Authors: Robert Callender | February 13, 2017

Amid all the changes in the energy industry in 2017, one of the most interesting and complex is playing out in California and New York as those states begin to re-think how best to value and purchase energy efficiency.

As TRC’s  Carmen Henrikson and Bob Callender explain in this TRC article, the era of paying for energy efficiency with rebates and subsidies — $10 coupons for buying energy-efficient lightbulbs or $200 rebates for upgrading to a high-efficiency water heater— is ending. The easy wins have been won, the returns on investment are dropping, and technology (such as programmable, Internet-connected thermostats) is moving much faster than government policies can adapt.

California and New York are at the forefront of rethinking how energy efficiency will get paid for, how utilities and their customers will share in the benefits, and how technology will inform and support the whole process. Utilities, technology vendors, service providers, and their financial investors all face threats and opportunities as this transition unfolds.

Please Download the Article for More Information About

  • Efficiency Savings Measurement Via Customer Data
  • Emerging efficiency procurement models
  • Rate-basing energy efficiency
  • Large-scale efficiency funding and financing

And in Coming Weeks and Months, Please Return to This Space as We Follow up With Practical Advice on How Utilities, Policymakers, and Other Stakeholders Can:

  • Optimize the impact of efficiency programs among hard-to-reach populations who haven’t been signing up to date;
  • Drive deeper, cost-effective savings through “whole-building” approaches to energy efficiency;
  • Shape and implement  high-performance building initiatives and reach codes; and
  • Benefit from distributed energy resources, including microgrids, utility-scale renewables, and home- or building-scaled distributed generation.
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Robert Callender

Robert Callender is a Vice President at TRC. Nationally recognized as a progressive leader in energy, Bob has over 20 years of experience as an innovator in energy policy and its implementation in the market. Prior to joining TRC, Bob was the Vice President of Programs for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) where he oversaw NYSERDA’s suite of energy efficiency programs. He was instrumental in introducing the whole building approach to New York’s efficiency programs as well as developing innovative program financing mechanisms. Bob held several positions during his 24 year career at NYSERDA, including acting president and CEO. Mr. Callender is also a participating member of the New York REV Clean Energy Working groups and is a participating member of the NYS Public Service Commission’s Clean Energy Advisory Council’s Energy Efficiency Procurement and Markets Working Group. He has a bachelor’s degree in government and management from American University in Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree in public administration from the State University of New York at Albany.

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Carmen Henrikson

Carmen has over 17 years of experience in the advancement of clean and distributed energy resources with a focus on delivery and integration of energy efficiency, demand response and renewable technologies. At TRC, she provides strategic and policy direction for the design and management of utility-scale energy efficiency incentive programs. She serves as an Executive Committee member and Treasurer on the California Energy Efficiency Industry Council’s Board of Directors. Carmen holds an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute of Global Sustainable Enterprise.