Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) Launches BRESE Collaborative to Enhance Regional Building Codes
Atlanta, GA — 9/17/2024 — The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) is proud to announce the launch of the Building a Resilient and Efficient Southeast (BRESE) Collaborative, a groundbreaking initiative designed to address the region’s unique climate challenges and regulatory landscape. This collaborative effort aims to bolster energy code adoption, implementation, and compliance across the Southeast, a region currently lagging in building code advancements compared to national standards.
With energy emissions and building resilience increasingly at the forefront of regional concerns, the BRESE Collaborative will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to enhance and streamline building energy codes. By focusing on tailored solutions for the Southeast’s climate zones and regulatory environments, the BRESE Collaborative will empower states and municipalities to effectively lower building emissions and improve energy efficiency.
The BRESE Collaborative will employ a multifaceted approach to drive progress, including the formation of peer-to-peer cohorts, a Community Code Innovation Prize for financial and technical support, and the provision of targeted technical assistance. The initiative will also create vital opportunities for convening and collaboration, directly engaging with state and local governments, implementers, and regional interest groups.
Maggie Kelley Riggins, senior program manager at SEEA, will lead this initiative as the principal investigator. “The BRESE Collaborative is a critical step towards advancing energy efficiency and resilience in the Southeast,” said Kelley Riggins. “By leveraging regional expertise and resources, we aim to create a sustainable model that not only addresses immediate challenges but also lays the groundwork for long-term improvements in building energy codes.”
Key partners in the BRESE Collaborative include the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the Mississippi Energy and Natural Resources Division, Greenlink Analytics, and the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network. Together, these organizations will engage over 200 stakeholders across the region, delivering technical assistance to at least 25 cohorts and CCIP projects.
“Building codes in the Southeast lag behind the nations in energy efficiency improvements, impeding climate action,” said Matt Cox, CEO of Greenlink Analytics. “Improved codes reduce electricity use, decrease carbon emissions, lower costs, and boost health. The BRESE project aims to accelerate these advancements for better building practices through community engagement, which will benefit people in the Southeastern region.”
The project is anticipated to produce significant benefits, including a conservative estimate of 10% improvement in residential and commercial building codes. This improvement is projected to yield cumulative savings of 47 trillion btu in energy, $1.1 billion in cost savings, and a reduction of 5.8 million metric tons of CO2 emissions over five years.
“The BRESE Collaborative is a pivotal investment in the Southeast’s energy future, fostering workforce development, pioneering efficiency-based policies, and strengthening our foundation for federal support. Through strategic partnerships and innovative solutions, we will drive meaningful change and position the Southeast as a leader in energy efficiency,” said Aimee Skrzekut, President and CEO of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA).
For more information about the BRESE Collaborative, please contact:
Senior Program Manager
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA)
About SEEA:
The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing energy efficiency in the Southeast to create a cleaner, more resilient, and equitable energy future. By fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders and providing technical expertise, SEEA drives impactful energy efficiency initiatives across the region.
About Greenlink Analytics:
Greenlink Analytics (“Greenlink”) is an Atlanta-based clean energy and equity research non-profit organization equipped with sophisticated analytical technologies and deep industry knowledge in the clean energy space, receiving accolades from MIT, Georgia Tech, Yale, and the National Science Foundation, among others. It uses these technologies to help create a smarter, cleaner, and more equitable future.