SALEM—The Northwest Food Processors Association (NWFPA) and Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) will receive prestigious energy efficiency national awards at the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) annual conference in Berkeley, California on Oct. 2.

 

There were over 120 nominations, and the two Oregon organizations are among the few to receive awards in the most rigorous, “Exemplary Program” category.   The ACEEE is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection. 

 

“The ACEEE awards criteria are always challenging to meet, and that is why these awards are well respected,” said Michael Grainey, director of the Oregon Department of Energy.  “This is a significant achievement to have two Oregon entities receive this recognition.”

 

The Department of Energy (ODOE) has worked with both organizations for more than a decade as they delivered world-class energy efficiency programs and services to members and customers. Annually, the ACEEE conducts a national search to identify leading models for energy efficiency programs to recognize achievements of selected programs, and to showcase these programs for use by other organizations interested in promoting energy-efficient technologies and practices.

The NWPAA is headquartered in Portland and represents the interests of 86 food processors, 450 member companies and nearly 200 production facilities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.  EWEB is Oregon’s largest customer-owned utility and provides electricity and water to more than 83,000 homes, businesses, schools and other customers in Eugene. 

  

Some additional facts about each of the awards:

 

·        David Zepponi, president of the NWFPA, is receiving the award for having implemented numerous projects to develop continued energy efficiency gains in the food processing industry.

 

·        Among these projects, Zepponi created, built and maintained an informative database of best practices for the food processing industry. These best practices include information on system optimization, best-available commercial technologies, energy and water-saving measures and other leading-edge energy and environmental technologies.

 

·        Zepponi also developed the Western U.S. Food-Processing Industry Resource Efficiency Initiative (FIRE), a collaboration of many entities including ODOE, Washington State University and California League of Food Processors, with the goal of increasing energy and water use efficiency.

 

·        ODOE helped the NWFPA by applying and receiving three federal grants regarding food processing and providing the NWFPA three contracts to fund efficiency development inside its organization.  This collaboration with the NWFPA was crucial to it now being a world class organization in providing energy efficiency service to its members.

 

 

·        EWEB, under the direction of general manager Randy Berggren, has developed numerous programs that have sustained impact on all energy using markets in the utility’s service territory for the past three decades.

 

·        The investments have yielded cost effectiveness of less than $2 million per average megawatt hour and over 52 megawatts of capacity savings.  EWEB has invested over $93 million in energy efficiency of local homes and businesses  through its many conservation grants, rebates and low cost loans.

 

·        In the 1990s EWEB formalized its conservation efforts by including energy efficiency as a key part of the utility’s Integrated Energy Resource Plan, and affirmed its importance by dedicating 5 percent of annual revenues to finance programs to help customers save on energy costs.

 

·        The composite of all actions is what has made EWEB energy management unique. The dedicated wind power purchase opportunities, a photovoltaic program where the utility virtually leases the rooftop, partnering with neighboring utilities, a robust commitment to rebates and zero interest financing, are examples of what makes EWEB standout as an energy leader.  

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