Efficiency Exchange NW Conference Unveils Innovative Ideas on Energy Efficiency

PORTLAND, Ore., May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), in partnership with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and utilities throughout the Northwest, will kick off the Efficiency Exchange NW conference in Portland, Ore. The region-wide event, May 14-16, focuses on promoting innovation and new ideas in utility energy efficiency programs.

Attendees will build new relationships, better understand emerging trends in the industry, and gain knowledge from the conference for their own organizations.

Efficiency Exchange NW combines two previous conferences – Efficiency Connections NW and BPA's Energy Efficiency Utility Summit – to better serve the region's utilities with a more comprehensive, focused conference.

"Efficiency Exchange NW perfectly ties into NEEA's goal of transforming the market through the connection and sharing of new ideas and information among the region's utilities," said NEEA's Executive Director, Susan E. Stratton. "Efficiency Exchange NW not only captures the spirit of collaboration, it helps attendees incorporate this knowledge into their own work. NEEA is proud to be involved."

The keynote speaker, Professor Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, will discuss how virtual reality and new technologies can affect consumers and energy consumption behavior. To help illustrate, conference attendees will don goggles and experience the virtual reality technology during the keynote.

Attendees will also get an insider's look at how media is reporting energy efficiency in the region and across the nation at the general session media roundtable. The session includes a variety of industry journalists who will discuss trends and topics in energy efficiency.

Other sessions will cover energy efficiency technologies and trends such as LEDs, ductless heat pumps, emerging technologies, market transformation, and the smart grid.

"I am very proud of this partnership between BPA and NEEA," said BPA's Vice President of Energy Efficiency, Richard Genece. "Acting together we are creating the preeminent energy efficiency forum in the Northwest.  By bringing together public power with their counterparts from investor-owned utilities and the implementers and contractors throughout the region, we are supporting the exchange of ideas and best practices and can continue our region's legacy of leadership in energy efficiency."

Between sessions, attendees can visit the Conduit Lounge and register, post and share information on Conduit, an online community that facilitates coordination and collaboration among energy efficiency professionals in the Northwest.

View the full agenda of the conference here.

About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is a non-profit organization working to accelerate energy efficiency to meet our future energy needs. NEEA is supported by and works in collaboration with the Bonneville Power Administration, Energy Trust of Oregon and more than 100 Northwest utilities on behalf of more than 12 million energy consumers. NEEA uses the market power of the region to accelerate the innovation and adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power almost 600,000 homes each year. Energy efficiency can satisfy more than half of our new demand for energy, saving money and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. www.neea.org

About BPA

BPA is a nonprofit federal agency that markets renewable hydropower from federal Columbia River dams, operates three-quarters of high-voltage transmission lines in the Northwest and funds one of the largest wildlife protection and restoration programs in the world. Energy efficiency is BPA's resource of choice. It lowers energy bills, has no carbon footprint, and reduces the need for costly, new power generation facilities and transmission lines. BPA and Northwest publicly-owned utilities achieve cost-effective energy savings by supporting efficiency programs in all sectors of the Northwest Economy, including Energy Smart Industrial, Energy Smart Grocer and Simple Steps, Smart Savings. Since 1980, BPA and its partners have saved over 1400 average megawatts. BPA also invests in research to develop and advance energy-saving technologies. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council sets the region's energy conservation agenda and BPA is committed to meeting 85 percent of the Northwest's future power needs with efficiency for the next 20 years. For more information, contact us at 503-230-5131 or visit www.bpa.gov.

SOURCE Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance; Bonneville Power Administration