September 2023, Chicago, IL– The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) has recently partnered with the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) to join the EMPOWERED program, a U.S. Department of Energy-funded initiative providing free education and training on clean energy safety and installation to building professionals. MEEA’s participation in the project will accelerate the adoption of energy efficient and clean energy technologies as we build an affordable, sustainable, and resilient energy future.
"MEEA is proud to partner with IREC to encourage awareness and adoption of energy efficient technologies,” said Bill Angelos, Acting Executive Director. “Buildings consume 40% of the nation’s energy and the EMPOWERED program is doing good work to lower this consumption in an efficient way.”
Fact based education is critical to the safe, widespread and rapid deployment of technologies that reduce energy usage and make the grid more sustainable and resilient. These include grid-interactive energy efficient building technologies, solar, energy storage systems and electric vehicles. The EMPOWERED program unites and informs stakeholders across the country on the implementation of energy efficiency, clean energy codes and standards and innovative adoption of technologies.
“More efficient buildings, reduced energy consumption, and electrification are essential components of an electric grid that can be powered by 100% clean energy,” said Larry Sherwood, President and CEO of IREC. “We are excited to have MEEA join the EMPOWERED program and further this important education initiative.”
The EMPOWERED program has already created widely-accessed resources that are in active use across the nation. Over 75,000 professionals in all fifty states have utilized the resources found on the program’s two websites: CleanEnergyClearinghouse.org and CleanEnergyTraining.org. Downloadable guides and checklists as well as webinar recordings are available on the Clearinghouse. CleanEnergyTraining.org hosts CEU-bearing permitting and inspection courses. All resources are free to the public, vetted by industry professionals and designed for practical application in the field.
MEEA joins a roster of expert organizations working collaboratively on the program. In addition to IREC, which leads the initiative, this group includes the International Code Council (ICC), International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI), National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), Southface Institute, New Buildings Institute (NBI), Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA), South-Central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER), SouthWest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) and Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP).
EMPOWERED stands for Educational Materials for Professional Organizations Working on Efficiency and Renewable Energy Developments. It is a collaborative grant program funded jointly by the Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, Building Technologies Office, and Vehicle Technologies Office.
About MEEA: The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) is a collaborative network, promoting energy efficiency to optimize energy generation, reduce consumption, create jobs and decrease carbon emissions in all Midwest communities. MEEA seeks an achievable pathway for all people and communities in the Midwest to receive the economic, environmental and societal benefits of energy efficiency and the larger clean energy economy. MEEA leverages their expertise to be the Midwest’s leading resource for their members, allies, policymakers and the broader sector to promote energy efficiency as the essential pathway to achieve a clean, affordable, equitable and sustainable future. For more information, visit mwalliance.org.
About IREC: The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) builds the foundation for rapid adoption of clean energy and energy efficiency to benefit people, the economy, and our planet. Its vision is a 100% clean energy future that is reliable, resilient, and equitable. IREC develops and advances the regulatory reforms, technical standards, and workforce solutions needed to enable the streamlined integration of clean, distributed energy resources. IREC has been trusted for its independent clean energy expertise for over 40 years, since its founding in 1982. For more information, visit www.irecusa.org or follow IREC on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.