Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) Better Buildings Program
The Global Sustainability Institute is pleased to have Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance as a Sustainable Partner in the Environmental Trade Mission & Conference 2010. SEEA will present on the BetterBuildings Program at the ETM 2010.
SEEA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission of promoting and achieving energy efficiency through networking, program activities, and education. The results of increased energy efficiency will be a cleaner environment, a more prosperous economy, and a higher quality of life in the southeastern United States.
SEEA is based in Atlanta, GA, and is active in the 13-state region of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the Virgin Islands. SEEA has developed close partnerships with existing energy organizations and businesses in the Southeast, including investor-owned and public utilities, wholesalers, retailers, state governors and energy offices, state public utility commissions, environmental and energy nonprofit organizations, energy service companies, manufacturers, universities, consumer groups, low-income advocates, and residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural consumers.
In April of 2010, SEEA was awarded $20M by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop local energy efficiency programs to provide comprehensive services in community neighborhoods to promote and administer energy efficiency and renewable technologies. Through an RFP process, SEEA awarded the following cities DOE funds to participate in the program:
- Atlanta, GA
- New Orleans, LA
- Jacksonville, FL
- Charlottesville, VA
- Huntsville, AL
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC
- Charleston, SC
- Decatur, GA
- Charlotte, NC
- Nashville, TN
- Hampton Roads Metro Planning District, VA
These cities form the Southeast Community Retrofit Ramp-Up Consortium and have committed to collectively retrofit approximately fifteen thousand residential and commercial facilities over 36 months. Each city is independently designing and implementing their programs. However SEEA is committed to providing the following tools and services on a regional basis to facilitate their efforts:
- Marketing and communication materials that are informed by the latest data on consumer attitudes and decision making on energy efficiency projects;
- A business process management software system that provides data collecting, reporting, energy measurement and verification, and quality assurance functions;
- A regional financing program – specifically a Loan Loss reserve Fund – to provide support to the cities’ local loan programs.
In addition, SEEA contracts with vendors and partners to assist the cities in the design, delivery and evaluation of the program. The DOE has also established a Technical Assistance Provider network which provides support to grantees in the areas of finance; program design and implementation; technical issues; and performance contracting.
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