2008 Transformational Energy Action Management Awards Announced

On October 22, 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will present 10 awards honoring programs, teams, and individuals at the 2008 Department of Energy Transformational Energy Action Management (TEAM) Award ceremony. Since 1979, DOE has recognized extraordinary staff with awards presented through its In-House Energy Management Program, which is now part of FEMP under the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The 2008 Awards recognize exemplary DOE employees who promote the goals of Secretary Samuel Bodman’s TEAM Initiative and show superior leadership in effective, efficient energy management.

The awardees have developed projects which, when fully implemented, will reduce DOE’s energy intensity by 20% from 2003. In addition, 3.5% of DOE’s electricity will come from new renewable sources. These projects will contribute to DOE’s overall progress toward meeting the goals of Executive Order 13423, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct).

Both Executive Order 13423 and EISA call on the federal government to reduce its energy intensity by three percent per year, leading to a 30% reduction in 2015 compared to 2003. EPAct requires that the federal government generate or purchase the renewable electric energy equivalent of at least 7.5% of its electricity use by 2013, and the President’s Executive Order requires that at least half of this renewable energy come from new renewable sources.

The TEAM Initiative enables an accelerated schedule for DOE to have its facilities reduce their energy consumption by 30% and water consumption by 16% by the end of fiscal year 2015 by using innovative alternative financing mechanisms such Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) and Utility Energy Services Contracts (UESCs). These innovative financing vehicles allow major energy-saving capital projects to be privately financed for up to 25 years by using the energy cost savings resulting from the project to pay for the improvements. The TEAM Initiative calls on DOE to capitalize on these financing vehicles in order to leverage private sector funding at an unprecedented rate and scale.

This year’s TEAM Awards recognize the programs and individuals who distinguished themselves in this important effort. 2008 awardees include:

* ESPC Champion Award and Streamlining Award: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

* Comprehensive Project Award: National Energy Technology Laboratory

* Program Effectiveness Award: Office of Environmental Management

* Renewable Energy Award: National Renewable Energy Laboratory

* TEAM Leadership Awards: Arnold Edelman, Office of Science, Office of Safety, Security and Information; John Ordaz, National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Safety, Security and Information

* Special Achievement Award for Technology Demonstration: Office of Management and EERE Solar Technologies Program

* Special Achievement Award for Energy Security: Idaho National Laboratory http://www.inl.gov

* Implementation Award: TEAM leaders who played a key role in the success of the TEAM Initiative

* Executive Leadership Award: Executives that guided execution and provide leadership support to those responsible for implementation.

This awards program is one of several held each year in conjunction with Energy Awareness Month to highlight the critical importance of energy efficiency and renewable resources and federal efforts to lead by example in energy management. For more information about these awards and the 2008 winners, see the Department of Energy Management Awards Web page http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/about/dema.html .

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(Many thanks to Megan Harrington of the Montana World Trade Center http://www.mwtc.org for passing this along and congratulations to INL for another well deserved award. Russ)