CEE’s 2022 Blog Year in Review
In 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act to help the country transition to a more efficient and increasingly electrified Minnesota. CEE can’t wait to support this move and challenge our own energy efficiency industry to make change.
Last year also marked Minnesota’s passage of the statewide Efficient Technology Accelerator. This innovative program will use a market transformation approach to speed up the broad availability and adoption of promising energy efficiency technologies. CEE will launch this exciting work in 2023.
While we look forward to these big changes, we’d like to take a moment and reflect on the hard work CEE staff accomplished in 2022 to strengthen the economy and improve the environment. Here are some top blog posts of 2022.
CEE’s efforts to make home heating and cooling better and cheaper
CEE’s Minnesota Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) Collaborative was featured in a new report showcasing best practices and programs in building electrification around the country. The Minnesota ASHP Collaborative is a joint effort between CEE and five Minnesota utilities to accelerate ASHP adoption across Minnesota. The goal of the collaborative is to ensure that by 2030 ASHPs are the first choice for contractors and homeowners replacing electric and delivered-fuel heating systems and air conditioners
CEE puts DEI focus on action and tracking progress
As a nonprofit with decades of experience in energy efficiency, CEE has built a reputation for data-informed learning, meaningful collaboration, and practical solutions that drive permanent change. Our approaches to equity and inclusion fall right in line with this core organizational identity. In this blog post, CEE explains our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and goals for 2022.
Strategic partnerships improve communities in more ways than one
The Sabathani Community Center is a Black founded and led nonprofit with a mission to provide its community with “essential resources that inspire them to improve their lives and build a thriving community.” With ambitious energy goals, Sabathani partnered with CEE, Xcel Energy, the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and other community stakeholders to make Sabathani an example of how energy efficiency can provide significant financial, social, and environmental benefits to businesses, residents, and the southside community at large.
The Nature Conservancy finds carbon reduction path following CEE analysis
When The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota Chapter needed to find a way to meet the chapter’s goal of reducing carbon from their internal operations 25% by 2025, they approached CEE for help. Leveraging utility, business travel, building, and commuting baseline data from TNC’s Worldwide Office, CEE helped identify potential greenhouse gas emissions reductions, anticipated implementation costs, and proposed timelines for building and transportation strategies.
CEE partners with Habitat for Humanity to make affordable, energy efficient home ownership a reality
CEE and Habitat for Humanity have partnered together for a long time to create affordable, energy efficient housing options in the Twin Cities. Over the years, CEE’s New Homes team has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity to help their homes meet energy efficiency standards. They perform energy ratings and provide recommendations that can make homes more efficient and save residents money.
The One-Stop Efficiency Shop lights the way for the Scandia Fire Department
Mike Hinz, chief of Scandia Fire & Rescue, struggled with frequent fluorescent bulb and ballast burnouts at his station. Twenty-six-foot ceilings made maintenance difficult, and lighting quality was poor overall. Mike had previously worked with CEE’s One-Stop Efficiency Shop on a lighting upgrade project while president of a plastic manufacturing company, so he knew who to call to solve the Scandia Fire Department’s lighting problem.