The Energy Policy Act of 2005: What’s in it for Virginians

Find out how the National Energy Policy Act of 2005 can help you lower energy use and costs at your business, organization or home on Tuesday, January 31st, when Virginia Sustainable Building Network brings a half-day seminar to the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia. Open to businesses, governments, community organizations, and citizens, this event brings national experts to the Commonwealth to help you understand how polices developed in this 1,700 page document will benefit you.

Charlottesville, Virginia (PRWEB) January 25, 2006 -- Find out how the National Energy Policy Act of 2005 can help you lower energy use and costs at your business, organization or home on Tuesday, January 31st, when Virginia Sustainable Building Network brings a half-day seminar to the Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia. Open to businesses, governments, community organizations, and citizens, this event brings national experts to the Commonwealth to help you understand how polices developed in this 1,700 page document will benefit you.

The Energy Policy Act, while falling short of making energy efficiency a cornerstone of our nation’s energy policy, contains several important energy-efficiency provisions that will help Virginians save money and energy, increase the use of renewable energy sources, promote biomass development, and provide tax credits and incentives for energy efficiency improvements.

Morning speakers will provide information on the impact of the new law on the federal level, new energy incentives for residential and commercial buildings, and directions for biomass development. The lunchtime speaker, Mark Ginsberg, is a Senior Executive Board Member of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He is a leader in shaping the energy policies and procedures that influence the U. S. government. Mr. Ginsberg was a former state Energy Office Director, and brings the perspective of being a tireless supporter of the potential the U.S. government can develop as a steward of natural resources and the environment. Mr. Ginsberg will look beyond the Energy Policy Act to new technologies that save energy and produce cleaner power.

The half day session, from 9AM to 2 PM, includes the following morning speakers:
Beth Shearer, will present on “The Energy Policy Act Impact on The Federal Level.” Ms. Shearer is the former Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and she is currently President of Beth Shearer and Associates, Inc. As the FEMP Director, her role was to foster energy efficiency throughout the entire U.S. Federal government, including all agencies and the legislative and executive branches. Her unique perspective and experience is now being applied to accelerate the energy and water efficiency programs supported by the new law.

Steve Capanna will speak on “New Energy Efficiency Incentives for Commercial and Residential Buildings.” Mr. Capanna , from the Alliance to Save Energy, helped craft several energy-efficiency policies that were ultimately included in the Energy Policy of 2005. He created the Alliance’s State Energy Efficiency Index, a comprehensive listing of state-level energy efficiency tax incentives, policies, and regulations. He has worked with the federal government and private companies on campaigns, such as the FEMP The Power is in Your Hands campaign, and with the Federal Energy Productivity Taskforce to ensure that provisions of the new law are fully implemented.

Rick Handley will present on “ The Future of Biomass Programs”. Mr. Handley manages the Northeast Regional Biomass Program of the Coalition of Northeastern Governors, a cooperative initiative of the northeastern states, industry, and federal government. This program, which has counterparts in five regions around the country, works through research, demonstrations, education and partnership-building to promote biofuels production, and the use of biomass for industrial purposes, as well as for heating of commercial and residential buildings.

Sponsors for the event include Pepco Energy Services, Charlottesville Waldorf Foundation, Artisan Construction, Inc., DPR Construction, Inc., and HermanMiller. The registration information for the event can be found at the VSBN website: www.vsbn.org or by calling the VSBN office at 703-486-2966.

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Virginia Sustainable Building Network is in it’s eleventh year as the only statewide organization promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable development in the Commonwealth. Additional information on this non-profit organization can be found at the VSBN website: www.vsbn.org.

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