2024 Southeast Energy Summit Member Testimonial

People passing by others in a conference

Written by: Julie Hayes 

People passing by others in a conference

Southeast Energy Summit 2024 was bigger and better than ever, with over 300 attendees from across the country participating.  

As a new SEEA member, I was excited to experience for myself all of the great things I had heard about the Summit from my colleagues in the region. I was also eager to see if anyone else was feeling uncertain about how the incoming administration might affect our industry.  

My concerns were addressed in the first 30 minutes.  

SEEA President, Aimee Skrzekut opened with a warm welcome and comprehensive overview on all the incredible work SEEA has been doing over the last 3+ years. Collaborating through community partnerships, SEEA’s core services of Research, Consulting and Education, Program Management, Facilitation and Financial Services have been instrumental in expanding the Southeast’s coalition for energy efficiency and supporting over $110M in funding across the region.  

Then Gene Rodrigues, Assistant Secretary for Electricity at the US Department of Energy took the stage, where he applauded the strength of SEEA’s commitment to collaboration and then laid out a simple framework for how we talk about the work we do in energy efficiency and load management, regardless of the political landscape: 

  • Reliable – our power must always readily available 
  • Secure – our infrastructure must be protected from foreign and domestic threats 
  • Resilient – our systems must withstand increased demand, disasters and extreme weather events 
  • Affordable – our energy costs must be manageable for all Americans if we are to thrive as a society 

He also assured us that DOE is working overtime to award federal grants for Inflation Reduction Act programs like Home Energy Rebates (HER) so that state energy offices can expand their efforts to meet the needs of their communities. 

I was now ready to jump into a full day and a half of presentations, panels and interactive discussions centered around this year’s theme of People, Places and Things. The agenda and session descriptions are available at southeastenergysummit.com, but here’s a sample of some of the great conversations I am still thinking about.  

The Intersection Between Health, Climate and Resiliency panel focused on strategies for reducing barriers to participation in weatherization programs. Jasmine Mah presented ACEEE’s weatherization readiness pilot, which addresses health and safety issues prior to weatherization work to reduce the number of deferred homes.  Michaela Marincic from Three3 shared an Early Alert System that can detect extreme cold or heat in vulnerable homes, especially those of the elderly. And Jacqui Dadakis from Green Coast Enterprises presented on the importance of strengthening codes to combat vanishing insurance options in Louisiana. 

SEOs: Where Are They Now was a lively, interactive conversation between attendees and state energy office representatives from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. Each state shared implementation strategies for federally funding programs such as Home Energy Rebates, Solar 4 ALL, and WETO. They also shared the latest EECBG projects and how community and stakeholder engagement is transforming clean energy initiatives in their states. 

Harnessing Energy Efficiency: The Untapped Potential of Demand-Side Solutions in Electricity Management was another great discussion where utilities, implementors and policy experts in the region talked about how energy efficiency plays a pivotal role in reducing demand, enhancing grid reliability, and achieving sustainability goals, and which demand-side solutions are reshaping the traditional energy supply model. 

The closing plenary with Mark Johnson (Thomas F. Hash Endowed Chair in Sustainable Development, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering) and Kenneth Shiver (Chief Economist, Southern Company) was a powerful reminder that we must strategically leverage energy efficiency to meet our collective goals for economic and community resilience. 

Amongst all this learning and discussion, SEEA celebrated energy innovators at the third annual SE Summit Awards. 2024 award recipients are:

  • Cobb EMC – Vanguard Award for Innovation in Efficient Energy 
  • Lucky Shoals Community Association, Gwinnett Housing Corporation, and GA Hispanic Construction Association – Luminary Award for Pursuing Energy Equity 

Learn more about the award winners here: https://lnkd.in/eUUTSCyX 
 
Lastly, but not leastly, this event was FUN!!! Resource Innovations sponsored Wednesday night’s festive Cocktails and Connections kickoff party, Southern Company sponsored Thursday night’s raucous Power Hour Karaoke and Line Dancing hoedown (yes, I said hoedown!) and then there were parties both nights hosted offsite by various organizations attending the Summit. I have to say, as a first timer, I really got so much out of attending. 

Can’t wait for next year. 😊 

To learn more about the Summit and SEEA, visit: seealliance.org. Let’s continue working together to shape a sustainable energy future for all. 🌍⚡#SEEA #EnergyEfficiency #SoutheastEnergySummit #Innovation #SustainableEnergy #EnergyEquity #Leadership #SEImpact