2008 - National Energy and Utility Affordability Conference

Workshops – Session 5
5-A How Do You Make Renewable Energy Accessible to Low-Income Consumers?
Room
Moderator:
Presenters:
Silver
Tim Ollhoff, Rural Renewable Energy Alliance
Jason Edens, Rural Renewable Energy Alliance
Frances Thompson, Pacific Gas & Electric Company
This session will examine regulations (renewable portfolio standards, for example) and
new opportunities for targeting renewable energy to low-income families, focusing on
collaborations with non-profit organizations, weatherization programs and examining
applications of renewable technology that are already benefiting customers.
5-B Fundamentals of the Home Energy Audit
Room
Moderator:
Presenter:
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Mary Grassi, PPL Electric Utilities
Caleb Crow, Performance Systems Development
Did you ever wonder what data need to be collected to perform an energy audit? This
workshop will explore how one computerized energy simulation tool calculates heat loss/
gain and system efficiencies to provide energy professionals and homeowners with the data
needed to make smart choices about how to cost effectively reduce energy use.
5-C California’s Low-Income Energy Needs Assessment
Room
Moderator:
Presenters:
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Jackie Berger, APPRISE, Inc.
Kelly Hymes, California Public Utility Commission
Kathleen Gafney, KEMA, Inc.
After an intensive four-year year process, the California Public Utilities Commission in
September 2007 released the final report of its wide-ranging, two-phase Low Income
Energy Needs Assessment, possibly the most comprehensive low-income energy needs
assessment ever undertaken. Conducted by KEMA, Inc., the second phase of the study used
in-depth interviews, energy audits, census data, utility billing records and on-site surveys
to develop a profile of the demographic, socio-economic, dwelling-type and geographic
characteristics of the eligible low-income population in California. The report also provides
an analysis of and recommendations regarding the effectiveness and the future of the
rate-payer funded low-income discount and energy efficiency programs that served nearly
4 million low-income Californians last year. A commission representative and a KEMA
researcher will discuss what led the commission to conduct the needs assessment and what
the future holds for California’s low-income population and their energy needs.
5-D Let Your Fingers Do the Talking: Writing Effective News Releases
Room
Moderator:
Presenters:
Denver
Ivan Brandon, National Fuel Funds Network
Ivan Brandon, National Fuel Funds Network
David Fox, National Low Income Energy Consortium
Too often, agencies generate news releases that provide basic information about energy
assistance programs but fail to “sell” the programs both to those who need help and those
whose support for the program could be valuable. In this interactive 2 1/2-hour workshop
reprising a highly successful session presented last year in Nashville, participants will learn
from two former Associated Press writers and editors about news writing and what goes into
an effective release. Then, participants will actually write leads and full news releases in a
classroom environment and critique each other’s efforts.
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