Leading the Future of Energy at the 36th Annual West Coast Energy Management Congress

ATLANTA, May 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- When it comes to energy management and efficiency, the City of Seattle and Washington State lead the nation. Each year thousands of energy managers, VPs of operations and facility management professionals come to the annual West Coast Energy Management Congress (EMC) conference and trade show to network with their peers, share best practices, and learn about the latest industry developments. Hosted by Puget Sound Energy, EMC is in its 36^th year - making it one of the longest-running events for business, industrial and institutional energy users in the Pacific Northwest. The local policies and programs in place are advancing an industry in which energy managers and engineers prosper. The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) is committed to supporting this advancement by presenting EMC in Seattle, June 20-21, at the Washington State Convention Center.

"Our members recognize and attend events like EMC because they bring together the top experts in all areas of energy management, power, buildings, and clean technologies," stated Bill Kent, Executive Director of AEE. "These are the individuals that are discussing and defining the paths to improved energy efficiency, facility optimization, and sustainability."

The EMC conference program showcases over 40 educational sessions with topics covering energy management, power distribution and generation, buildings and facilities, energy services, commissioning, renewable energy and sustainable development, which helps facility managers and building owners identify creative ways to reduce their energy consumption. Featured speakers opening the program this year include:

• Creating a Better Energy Future, from Andy Wappler, Vice President of Customer Operations & Communications, Puget Sound Energy
• How to Realize Better Buildings, from Maria Tikoff Vargas, Director, Better Buildings Challenge, U.S. Department of Energy
• Improving Environmental Performance While Growing the Business, from Les Weige, Director, Environment, Health & Safety, Boeing

"It's also additional opportunities at the event that interests our members, such as networking receptions and AEE chapter events," continued Bill Kent. Special events at EMC include a Council on Women in Energy and Environmental Leadership (CWEEL) breakfast with featured speaker Susan Wickwire, Executive Director from Seattle 2030 District, discussing how government can assist companies to achieve their environmental goals. Local Pacific Northwest and Columbia River AEE chapters gather for their annual luncheon, where featured speaker Jessica Finn Coven, Director, City of Seattle's Office of Sustainability & Environment, will present the steps Seattle's is taking to achieve its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

As a complement to the conference program, the EMC expo will display technologies helping commercial, industrial, and institutional customers save on their energy costs, upgrading their facilities with innovative solutions, and implementing new or retrofit construction projects which will help drive the new clean energy economy. In addition, free technical workshops in the expo hall ranging from the evolution of lighting, energy savings retrofits, demand response best practices to HVAC optimization will also be available for expo and conference visitors.

"The expo allows end users to interact face to face with over 200 vendors, many of them local to the Seattle and the Pacific Northwest energy marketplace. They get to explore the latest products, technology, and services in a dynamic, interactive environment," said Bill Kent "These are what make EMC a shared community for all involved, and as Seattle is at the forefront of sustainable energy developments, it will be an ideal location for anyone looking to grow, invest and connect."

For full event details or to register for the conference or complimentary expo, visit www.energyevent.com

About AEE: The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), a professional association, is augmented by its strong membership base of over 18,000 professionals in 100 countries and its widely recognized energy certification program in the fields of energy engineering and energy management, renewable and alternative energy, power generation, energy services, sustainability, and all related areas. AEE's network of 98 local chapters located throughout the U.S. and abroad meet regularly to discuss issues of regional importance.

For more about AEE, visit www.aeecenter.org. Follow the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) on LinkedIn, Twitter: @AEE, and Facebook

SOURCE Association of Energy Engineers