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>>> HELLO, EVERYBODY. AND WELCOME TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION GREEN
ENERGY TWITTER TOWN HALL. TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE WELCOME TO THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION GREEN ENERGY TWITTER TOWN HALL. WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT FROM THE H.U.D., DEPARTMENT
OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. THESE POLICIES WILL MOSTLY AFFECT BUSINESSES,
MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL FAMILY OWNERS WHO WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THESE INITIATIVES TO HELP THEM SAVE ENERGY AND MONEY.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOWING YOUR QUESTIONS TODAY ON OUR LIVE TWITTER STREAM.
WE'RE USING GREEN ENERGY CUES AND WE COUNT TODAY WITH THE PARTICIPATION WONDERFUL PEOPLE
WHO JOINED THE ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE KATHLEEN HOGAN WHOSE THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT
SECRETARY FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
WE HAVE PATRICIA MILLER WHO IS SENIOR ADVISER FOR ENERGY POLICY FOR H.U.D. AND WE HAVE ELIZABETH
CRAIG WHOSE THE DIRECTOR OF CLIMATE PROTECTION PARTNERSHIP FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE GIVE US SOME QUICK INTRODUCTIONS
AND WE'LL START TAKING YOUR QUESTIONS.
>> TERRIFIC AND THANK YOU. WE'RE CERTAINLY EXCITED TO BE HERE TO TALK
ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH H.U.D. AND THE B EPA AND OTHERS FOR ENERGY SAVINGS.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CLEAN ENERGY CAN DO A LOT FOR OUR COUNTRY AND FOR MULTIFAMILY
HOUSING IN PARTICULAR. IT OFFERS TREMENDOUS SAVINGS ACROSS OUR HOMES
AND OUR BUILDINGS, TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR.
IF WE TAKE A NUMBER OF STRAIGHTFORWARD STEPS TO CUT THE WASTE THAT'S IN MANY OF OUR HOMES
AND OTHER BUILDINGS, WE CAN REALLY ACHIEVE THESE SAVINGS.
IT ALSO PROVIDES JOBS, REDUCES AIR POLLUTION, INCLUDING GREENHOUSE GAS POLLUTANTS WHICH
MAYBE YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT FROM EPA. YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT RECOGNIZING ALL OF
THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY HAS CALLED ON ALL OF US TO CUT OUR ENERGY WASTE BY 50%.
AND AT THAT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, WHAT WE DO IS FIELD A BROAD PORTFOLIO OF EFFORTS TO
HELP US DO JUST LIKE THAT. WE DO THINGS LIKE UTILIZE MINIMUM STANDARDS
FOR PRODUCTS, HELP BRING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO THE MARKET, SOME OF THEM OFFERING SAVINGS
UP TO 80% SUCH AS SOME OF THE NEW STATE LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES AND HELP ENERGY INVEST IN COMPETITIVE
MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH LEADERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO SHOWCASE SOLUTIONS THAT REALLY WORK AND WHERE PEOPLE
CAN REALLY SEE THEM AT WORK. THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE
COMES IN. THIS IS AN INITIATIVE LAUNCHED BY PRESIDENT
OBAMA IN 2011 TO HELP WITH AMERICAN COMPETITIVENESS AND JOB CREATION AND REALLY HELPING BUSINESSES
SAVE MONEY THROUGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY. WITH THE BETTER BUILDING CHALLENGE, THE PRESIDENT
ASKED LEADING CEOS AND EXECUTIVES OF U.S. COMPANIES, UNIVERSITIES, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
AND OTHERS TO COMMIT TO REDUCING THE ENERGY USE ACROSS THEIR BUILDING PORTFOLIOS BY 20%
OR MORE OVER TEN YEARS. AND HE ASKED THESE CEOS TO ACTUALLY DO EVEN
MORE, WHICH WAS TO TRANSPARENTLY SHOWCASE THESE SOLUTIONS THAT THEY USE AND THE RESULTS
THEY ACHIEVE SO THAT IN TURN WE COULD SPUR BILLIONS ADDITIONAL IN NEW INVESTMENT AND
SAVINGS ACROSS THE NATION. AND IT'S GREAT SINCE THIS WAS LAUNCHED.
WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS. WE'VE GOT OVER 120 LEADING ORGANIZATIONS SIGNING
ON REPRESENTING MANY OF THE SEGMENTS IN OUR COMMERCIAL AND MANUFACTURING SECTORS THAT
ARE SO PROMINENT. AND THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED
ALREADY THAT THEY'RE ON TRACK TO MEETING THE PRESIDENT'S GOAL.
CUTTING ENERGY USE BY ON AVERAGE 2.5% A YEAR EQUIVALENT AT THIS POINT TO ABOUT $58 MILLION
IN ENERGY SAVINGS PER YEAR. SO REALLY A GREAT START.
BUT WE OFTEN KNOW THERE'S TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE ENERGY AND MONEY IN MULTIFAMILY HOUSING
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SO PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY.
WE'RE PLEASED WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH H.U.D. AND EPA.
WE HAVE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO TRICIA MILLER.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU, KATHLEEN.
IT'S TRULY AN OUTSTANDING PARTNERSHIP ACROSS THE FEDERAL FAMILY TO DELIVER ON THE CLIMATE
ACTION PLAN AND JUST WITHIN THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS, WE JUST HIT A RECORD NUMBER OF GREEN
UNITS THAT WERE RETROFITTED OR BUILT TO ENERGY EFFICIENT STANDARDS AND THAT'S IN LARGE PART
BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP BY EPA AND DOE. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BE PART OF TODAY'S CONVERSATION
AND TO SEE NOT ONLY THE 1.7 MILLION UNITS OF GREEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT WE'VE HIT
TOGETHER TO DATE THROUGH WEATHERIZATION AND H.U.D.'S PROGRAMS DIRECTLY, BUT ALSO TO CONTINUE
ALONG THE PATH OF THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND ELEVATE THE WORK WE'RE DOING IN REAL TIME
TO DELIVER ON THE PRESIDENT'S GOAL OF CUTTING CARBON POLLUTION, PREPARE FOR THE IMPACT OF
CLIMATE CHALLENGE AND LEADING BY EXAMPLE INTERNATIONALLY. H.U.D.'S ABILITY TO FILL THE MISSION OF CREATING
STRONG, SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES IS DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE COMMIT TODAY A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN, FROM
THE MULTIFAMILY EXPANSION OF THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE THAT KATHLEEN HAS BEEN LEADING AND
WE'RE EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND DELIVERING IN THAT GOAL, TOE DELIVERING ON CLEAN ENERGY
AND HELPING COMMUNITIES BOUNCE BACK FROM NATURAL DISASTERS.
TODAY WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT THE FIRST OF THESE PILLARS, LOWERING
CARBON POLLUTION THROUGH GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS. AT H.U.D. WE FOCUSED ON BOOSTING THE ENERGY
EFFICIENCY OF OUR NATION'S HOMES AND PROMOTE BEING FEDERAL PARTNERSHIPS AND FINANCING TOOLS
THAT ARE GOING TO REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR.
GIVEN THAT THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR ACCOUNTS FOR 20% OF ALL ENERGY RELATED U.S. CARBON
EMISSIONS, THE ACTION WE TAKE NOW TO INVEST IN OUR NATION'S HOMES WILL SAVE MONEY, CURB
EMISSIONS AND ALSO PREPARE OUR COMMUNITIES FOR TOMORROW.
H.U.D. IS ALSO EXCITED TO BE WORKING ON A NEW FEDERAL RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET UNDER
THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN TO BRING ON SITE RENEWABLES INTO LOW INCOME HOUSING.
THIS INITIATIVE IS LINKED TO MUCH BROADER EFFORTS TO SUPPORT RESILIENCE AND ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. AND IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT LAST YEAR FOR THE
FIRST TIME IN OVER 15 YEARS, THE U.S. HAS INSTALLED MORE SOLAR CAPACITY THAN ANY OTHER
NATION IN THE WORLD. WE WANT TO CAPITALIZE ON THAT MOMENTUM HERE
AT H.U.D. AND ENSURE AMERICAN FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE HARDEST HIT ECONOMICALLY, CAN
REAP THE BENEFITS OF A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HEAR FROM BETH AT EPA
AND BEGIN THE CONVERSATION WITH YOU THAT ARE LIVE ON THE TWITTER FEED.
THANKS.
>> THANK YOU, KATHLEEN. THANK YOU, TRICIA.
IT'S A PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TODAY TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN JOIN TOGETHER
TO ADVANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND TO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
AS KATHLEEN AND TRICIA BOTH SAID, WE HAVE COMMITMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE TO EXPLORE HOW
WE CAN BECOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT BY THE TARGET DATES WITHIN THE PLAN.
THE PLAN ITSELF ALSO LAYS OUT IN DETAIL HOW THE AGENCIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON ALL OF
THESE ITEMS. MANY OF THESE THINGS WE WERE DOING BEFORE,
BUT THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT HAS BROUGHT US TOGETHER.
SO, IN SUPPORT OF THE PLAN, WE'RE WORKING WITH H.U.D., AS WELL AS FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE
MAC SPECIFICALLY ON MULTIFAMILY BECAUSE THESE THREE ORGANIZATIONS INFLUENCE THE LARGEST
SOURCE OF MULTIFAMILY LENDING IN THE COUNTRY. WITH DOE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING SINCE 1996 IN
THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM. IT'S THROUGH THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM THAT
EPA HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH MULTIFAMILY BUILDING OWNERS, MANAGERS
AND TENANTS TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES, TOOLS AND RESOURCES THAT WILL ASSIST THEM WITH SAVING
ENERGY, SAVING MONEY AND REDUCING THE GREENHOUSE GASES THAT KATHLEEN DISCUSSED EARLIER.
SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BRING ALL OF OUR RESOURCES TOGETHER AND WORK WITH
ALL OF THE MULTIFAMILY COMMUNITY. SO I THINK WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS STOP RIGHT
THERE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE DETAILS ARE ACTUALLY MAYBE PART OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THE PANEL
GETS. THANK YOU.
>> EXCELLENT. WE'RE READY TO START TAKING QUESTIONS.
GO AHEAD. OUR FIRST QUESTION COMES FROM GLOBAL GREEN
USA. THEY ASK US, HOW IS THE ADMINISTRATION PLANNING
TO INCLUDE LOW INCOME FAMILY BUILDINGS IN THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE?
EXCELLENT QUESTION. TRICIA, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE LEAD
ON THAT.
>> SURE. SO OVER THE SUMMER WHEN THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCED
THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, ONE OF THE MESSAGES IN THAT PLAN WAS TO EXPAND THE BETTER BUILDING
CHALLENGES TO THE MULTIFAMILY SECTOR. AS KATHLEEN AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE
VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS EXPANSION AND THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT LEADING AFFORDABLE
HOUSING OWNERS, DEVELOPERS AND ALSO MARKET RATE OWNERS WHO ARE MAKING A COMMITMENT TO
A 20% ENERGY REDUCTION IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS. OVER JUST THE LAST FEW MONTHS, WE'VE SEEN
55 MULTIFAMILY OWNERS AND MANAGERS JOIN THE CHALLENGE, WHICH IS TERRIFIC.
WE'RE HOPING TO GET TO 100 THIS YEAR. SO FOR ALL OF YOU WHO ARE OUT THERE WHO ARE
CONTEMPLATING THE CHALLENGE, PLEASE JOIN US, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING TOGETHER TO
BRING TECHNICAL RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO ALL OF YOU TO HIT THAT 20% TARGET AND UTILIZE
THE TOOLS LIKE EPA'S PORTFOLIO MANAGER TO TRACK OUR PROGRESS EACH YEAR TOWARD THAT IS
20% GOAL. BUT I WOULD NOTE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE
MULTIFAMILY OWNERS WHO ARE REPRESENTED IN THE CHALLENGE ARE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OWNERS.
THE STEWARDS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE FUTURE, THEIR OWNERS ARE REPRESENTED IN THE
CHALLENGE REPRESENTING THE LARGEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING OWNERS IN THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES WHO HAVE JOINED THE CHALLENGE AND NON PROFITS
WORKING AT THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL SCALE AS WELL.
SO IT REALLY IS DESIGNED TO BE A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE WHERE WE CAN SUPPORT THROUGH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND AT H.U.D. THROUGH OUR POLICY INCENTIVES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OWNERS,
ENERGY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS THAT WORK THAT WILL PAY BACK AND GENERATE COST SAVINGS.
>> AND LET ME JUST JUMP IN TO MAYBE TO ANSWER MAYBE SORT OF A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THE CHALLENGE REALLY ASK? IT ASKS FOR THIS 20% SAVINGS COMMITMENT OF
AN ORGANIZATION ACROSS THEIR PORTFOLIO OF BUILDINGS, AND THEN IT ASKS THEM TO IDENTIFY
ONE BUILDING PRETTY SOON TO BE A SHOWCASED PROJECT TO SHOW REALLY HOW YOU CAN GO AT GETTING
20% SAVINGS OR MORE AT THE BUILDING LEVEL JUST TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE TECHNOLOGIES AND
THE APPROACH PRETTY CONCRETELY QUICKLY. AND THEN TO REPORT ON YOUR RESULTS EACH YEAR
BACK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO WE'VE TALLIED UP ACROSS THE PORTFOLIO AND
REALLY SHOW THE IMPACT THAT'S BEING MADE, THE APPROACHES THAT ARE REALLY HAVING THE
RESULTS OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME. THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS IS
THAT IT REALLY IS A TWO WAY STREET BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE WORKING WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE
TAKING ON THIS CHALLENGE ALSO SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU'RE FACING AND REALLY
BRING THAT AND SPREAD IT OUT THROUGH THE COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE SO PEOPLE CAN REALLY LEARN FROM
WHAT IT IS THESE LEADERS ARE CHALLENGING THEMSELVES WITH AND SHARED THOSE LEARNING SO WE CAN,
AGAIN, SPUR THE INVESTMENT IN ALL OF THESE SECTORS.
>> NEXT QUESTION. THE NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM PAMELA RILEY.
SHE ASKS, CAN WE DISCUSS THE APPROPRIATE REHAB TREATMENTS FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS?
FOR EXAMPLE, REPLACEMENT OF WINDOWS AREN'T ALWAYS NEEDED OR ARE BETTER.
IT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD PRACTICAL QUESTION. >> WELL, IT'S REALLY A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE
I THINK THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE OUR SHOWCASE BUILDING ELEMENT OF THE
BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE, IS TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE BEING
USED IN A WHOLE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT BUILDINGS TO GET YOU TO THESE HIGHER PERFORMANCE LEVELS.
AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, IT ISN'T USUALLY ONE MEASURE IS THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO DO
TO GET THERE. THERE'S TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, SOME VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD
THINGS TO DO LOOKING FOR LEAKS, LOOKING AT THE HVAC SYSTEM, TUNING THINGS UP.
THERE'S A WHOLE VARIETY OF THINGS TO LOOK AT.
I THINK WHAT WE WOULD STRESS IS REALLY DOING THE RIGHT AUDIT FOR EACH OF THESE BUILDINGS
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE COST EFFECTIVE MEASURES ARE AND THEN FIGURING OUT AN INVESTMENT SCHEDULE
THAT MAKES SENSE BASED ON FINANCES, ACCESS TO CAPITAL, ET CETERA THAT REALLY CAN WORK
FOR THAT BUILDING. IT CAN BE FAIRLY BUILDING SPECIFIC.
>> AND WE ACTUALLY AT EPA OFFER THE ENERGY STAR BUILDING UPGRADE MANUAL, WHICH OUTLINES
A FIVE STAGE PROCESS THAT THE BUILDING OWNER CAN TAKE TO MAKE ENERGY EFFICIENT IMPROVEMENTS.
AND OF COURSE THE FIRST STEP IS IDENTIFYING WHICH BUILDINGS YOU WANT TO TAKE ON FIRST,
ESPECIALLY AS A BUILDING OWNER MAY HAVE A PORTFOLIO OF BUILDINGS.
AT THAT POINT THEY COULD USE ENERGY STAR'S PORTFOLIO MANAGER WHICH WOULD GIVE THEM INSIGHT
INTO WHICH BUILDINGS HAVE THE BEST POTENTIAL. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT OVER TIME, AS KATHLEEN
SAID, THEY WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THOSE SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS, MAKE THEM
AND THEN BE ABLE TO SEE THE OUTCOMES OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS BY USING PORTFOLIO MANAGER.
>> I GUESS THE OTHER THING I WOULD ADD, BECAUSE IT'S ANOTHER EFFORT AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY,
WE WORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN WEATHERIZATION, LOW INCOME WEATHERIZATION
AND WE'VE DEVELOPED A SUITE OF TOOLS THAT PEOPLE CAN USE TO UNDERSTAND THE COST EFFECTIVE
MEASURES THERE. WE'RE RIGHT ON THE CUSP OF SORT OF A NEW SUITE
OF TOOLS IN THE MULTIFAMILY SPACE, ONE OF THEM CALLED MULTI FOR MULTIFAMILY ENERGY AUDIT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE WHAT IT CAN DO FOR PEOPLE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY THE MEASURES
FOR THEIR BUILDINGS AS WELL.
>> I WOULD JUST ADD, I THINK TO BETH'S POINT, TAKING THE PORTFOLIO APPROACH IS SO IMPORTANT
TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY SPECIFICALLY WHICH PROPERTIES ARE THE WORST PERFORMERS, REPRESENT
THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR COST EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY WORKING
ON THROUGH THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY ACROSS THE SPECTRUM
OF MULTIFAMILY OWNERS. WE ALSO HAVE A MULTIFAMILY ENERGY INNOVATION
FUND. THAT INITIATIVE INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF
AN EASY RETROFIT TOOL THAT'S MEANT TO BE A LIGHTER TOUCH ALTERNATIVE TO AN ENERGY AUDIT
TO BUNDLE SOME OF THE COST EFFECTIVE MEASURES THAT HAVE THE QUICKEST PAYBACK AND ARE EASY
TO INSTALL. SO THERE ARE A VARIETY OF NEW TECHNIQUES AND
TOOLS, INCLUDING MULTI AND GETTING STANDARDIZATION AROUND AUDIT PROTOCOLS IS GOING TO BE CRUCIAL
FOR THE INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS HAVING A VEHICLE FOR TOUCHING PROPERTIES AT THE TIME THAT THEY
COME IN IN H.U.D. PORTFOLIO FOR REFINANCE OR REDEVELOPMENT.
WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY DOING A CAPITAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT A CAPITAL
GREEN ENERGY PLAN SO THAT GETS EMBEDDED AND BECOMES PART OF THE TRANSACTION AS OPPOSED
TO BEING SEEN AS KIND OF A ONE OFF ENERGY PROJECT OR UPGRADE.
I THINK THERE'S A VARIETY OF TOOLS THAT CAN BE UTILIZED ACROSS THAT CONTINUUM OF THE DEVELOPMENT
SPECTRUM.
>> TAKE OUR NEXT QUESTION. COMES FROM EEE HUB.
IT ASKS, HOW THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, EPA AND H.U.D. WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPLEMENT ENERGY
EFFICIENCY IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN U.S. CITIES?
MORE PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. >> WELL, CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT GOING ON
WITH OUR NATION'S CITIES. AND, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BACK TO THE BETTER
BUILDINGS CHALLENGE, THERE ARE 50ISH OR SO STATES AND CITIES THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO TAKE
THAT CHALLENGE. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT THE CITIES
ARE DOING IN THE CHALLENGES, THEY'RE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF THEIR OWN FACILITIES,
BUT THE CITIES THAT JOIN ON ARE ALSO WORKING WITH THEIR BUSINESS COMMUNITIES TO CHALLENGE
THEM TO ENROLL THEIR BUILDINGS AND ACHIEVE THE 20% SAVINGS THERE AS WELL.
ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE LAUNCHED IN THIS AREA THAT WAS CALLED FOR IN THE PRESIDENT'S
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE'RE CALLING AN ACCELERATOR AND WE'RE WORKING
WITH CITIES HERE, TOO. BECAUSE ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE FIND IS
IT IS HARD TO GET ACCESS TO THE WHOLE BUILDING DATA THAT BUILDING OWNERS NEED TO DO THINGS
LIKE PORTFOLIO MANAGER TO GET ACCESS TO THE MULTIMEDIA DATA PARTICULARLY ACROSS MULTIPLE
TENANTS IN THE BUILDING SO YOU CAN DO THE WHOLE BUILDING BENCHMARKING.
WE LAUNCHED THIS ACCELERATOR THAT IS BRINGING CITIES AND UTILITIES TOGETHER TO WORK OUT
THE BEST WAYS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT DATA AVAILABLE BACK TO THEIR BUSINESS COMMUNITIES
AND THEN TO DO IT IN AS CONSISTENT A WAY AS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED RIGHT NOW THAT WE'VE GOT 20 PAIRS OF CITIES AND UTILITIES COMING TOGETHER
TO WORK WITH US TO DO THIS IN AS CONSISTENT A WAY AND STREAMLINED A WAY AS POSSIBLE TO
MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR BUSINESS COMMUNITY. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN BRING
IN THE MULTIFAMILY ASPECT OF THIS AS WELL. BUT THERE'S JUST GREAT STUFF GOING ON RIGHT
NOW ACROSS OUR NATION'S CITIES IN THIS SPACE.
>> WELL, UNDER THE ENERGY STAR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS PROGRAM, WE'RE WORKING WITH MANY
OF THE CITIES, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITIES THAT HAVE THE LOCAL MANDATES AND DISCLOSURE
LAWS. AND WHAT'S VERY EXCITING ABOUT THAT IS ACTUALLY
SOME OF THOSE CITIES ARE BRINGING IN MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS.
SO THAT'S JUST GREAT IN TERMS OF US GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TYPE OF DATA
THAT THEY HAVE, AS WELL AS HOW WE CAN WORK WITH THEM IN TERMS OF IMPROVING THEIR ENERGY
EFFICIENCY. MANY OF THOSE CITIES ALSO FOCUSED FIRST ON
THEIR OWN BUILDINGS. SO THE CITY OFFICE BUILDINGS.
THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT'S HELPFUL FOR US IN TERMS OF HOW WE, AS A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,
CAN LEAD IN THIS AREA AS WELL. SO ALL OF IT I THINK GOES BACK TO HOW NOT
ONLY H.U.D., DOE, EPA WORK TOGETHER BUT HOW WE'RE WORKING ACROSS THE WHOLE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
BY IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF OUR BUILDINGS BY USING TOOLS LIKE PORTFOLIO MANAGER.
>> NEXT QUESTION. THE NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM ACCESS ASSETS.
THEY ASK, 18 MILLION LOW INCOME PEOPLE IN THE U.S. RENT, HOW CAN THESE GREEN ENERGY
POLICIES HELP SAVE THEM MONEY? TRICIA?
>> SURE. IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE SO FOCUSED ON MULTIFAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS
AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN TO REALLY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE
TOUCH DIRECTLY THROUGH H.U.D.'S PORTFOLIO AND THROUGH THE FEDERAL FAMILY ACROSS THE
LOW INCOME TAX CREDIT AND THE USDA'S RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER
TO TRY TO BRING MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT RESOURCES, BUT THE TECHNICAL RESOURCES REPRESENTED BY
MY SISTER'S AGENCIES AND TO DELIVER MORE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT WILL HELP INCREASE THE ENERGY
PERFORMANCE IN OUR NATION'S MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOKED AT EXPANDING THE MULTIFAMILY BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE, THE REASON WE
FOCUSED ON THAT IS WE WERE LOOKING ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND SAW THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD
SPENDS ABOUT $2,000 EACH YEAR ON THEIR UTILITY BILLS.
THAT FIGURE BALLOONS TO 24% FOR LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD.
SO THE $2,000 IS EQUIVALENT OF 3% OF THE HOUSEHOLD'S ANNUAL INCOME.
AGAIN, THE DIFFERENCE OF AN AVERAGE FAMILY SPENDING 3% OF THEIR INCOME FOR ENERGY AND
WATER UTILITY COSTS COMPARED TO NEARLY A QUARTER OF THEIR INCOME IF THEY'RE VERY LOW INCOME
IS SIGNIFICANT AND SOMETHING WE HAVE TO ADDRESS. WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT THROUGH THE VARIETY
OF PROGRAMS THAT YOU'VE HEARD US TALK ABOUT TODAY.
ANOTHER EXCITING NEW LOAN FUND THAT I WANTED TO MENTION THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE USDA IS
THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION LOAN PROGRAM THAT IS MAKING AVAILABLE $250 MILLION
AS A REVOLVING LOAN FUND RURAL THROUGH THE UTILITY SERVICE THAT WILL SUPPORT A VARIETY
OF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING UNITS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND COULD REALLY DO A LOT TO STRENGTHEN LOW
INCOME HOUSING ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES. ANOTHER PLACE TO LOOK IS ON THE DESIRE USA
WEBSITE THAT THE CATALOGS, ALL OF THE STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL REBATES AND INCENTIVES FOR
ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES. SO THAT'S ANOTHER SOURCE.
>> NEXT QUESTION. NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM PLANNING RESOURCES
AND THEY ASK, ARE YOU WORKING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR GREEN ENERGY POLICIES?
WHAT SPECIFIC POLICIES ARE BEST?
>> ACTUALLY, I'M GOING TO TRY TO TAKE THIS AND I'M SURE BOTH MY COLLEAGUES HAVE OTHER
IDEAS. IN OUR 2009 AND 2010 BUDGETS, WE RECEIVED
FUNDING FROM CONGRESS TO PUT TO AWARD GRANTS TO 50 LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND TRIBAL NATIONS,
AND THE FOCUS WAS FOR AND THEY WERE CLIMATE GRANTS.
AND THEY WERE FOCUSED ON GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION, BUT THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THESE GRANTS
IS THESE ARE LEADERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND PART OF THE GRANT REQUIREMENTS WERE THAT THESE
WOULD BE REPLICABLE PROJECTS THAT WE COULD SHARE ACROSS THE NATION.
THEY LOOKED AT IT FROM THE ISSUE OF REDUCING WASTE, REDUCING OTHER TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
AND THESE HAVE BEEN MENTORS ACROSS THE NATION AND THE COMMUNITIES.
THESE ARE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT COME FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOW DO WE, AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL, HELP TO SHARE THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY?
>> AND THAT WILL REALLY HAVE A LOT OF GREAT EXAMPLES FOR PEOPLE TO DRAW UPON.
I GUESS AS I THINK ABOUT OUR WORK AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, OF COURSE IT'S FAIRLY ENERGY FOCUSED.
A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE CITIES, WITH POLICIES I THINK REALLY GOES TO SORT
OF THE HEART OF ONE OF THE ISSUES WE SEE WITH OUR BUILDINGS IS WE TRULY DON'T UNDERSTAND
HOW EFFICIENT THEY ARE OR HOW INEFFICIENT THEY ARE, AND WE'RE SO FAMILIAR WITH THAT
INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CARS, RIGHT? MILE PER GALLON RATING FOR OUR CARS.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT FOR OUR BUILDINGS. THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING EPA HAS BEEN WORKING
ON FOR QUITE AWHILE WITH PORTFOLIO MANAGER. AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE CITY LEVEL
RIGHT NOW IS CITIES ASKING FOR THAT INFORMATION ON THEIR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, BUILDINGS ABOVE
A CERTAIN SIZE AND WHAT CITIES ARE DOING. IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM CITY TO CITY,
WHAT SIZE AND ABOVE, THE INFORMATION THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING IS HELP TO SEE THAT INFORMATION IS BROUGHT FORWARD, AGAIN, AS
IN EASY A WAY AS POSSIBLE. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO
THAT INFORMATION. WHAT YOU'RE ALSO SEEING IS SOME CITIES ARE
ASKING FOR AUDITS TO BE DONE ON THOSE BUILDINGS AT SOME FREQUENCY SO THERE'S NOR INFORMATION
ON NOT JUST HOW EFFICIENT OR INEFFICIENT THE BUILDING IS BUT WHAT COST EFFECTIVE MEASURES
CAN BE TAKEN IN THE BUILDING TO HELP INFORM THE BUILDING OWNER WHAT TO DO.
WHAT'S THAT NOW DOING IS TEEING UP THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR SOME MORE QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO COME
IN AND DO THOSE AUDITS AND OTHER THINGS, AND WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY IS DOING IS
HELP INVEST IN THE SORT OF CREDENTIALING SYSTEM FOR BUILDING PROFESSIONALS THAT CAN GO IN
AND DO THAT. WE JUST KICKED OFF A NEW EFFORT THIS JANUARY
TO DEVELOP SORT OF THE EMERGENCY AND SKILL ASSESSMENTS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP SORT OF A
TRAINING AND ACCREDITATION EFFORT THAT CAN SUPPORT ALL THIS GREAT WORK OF THE CITIES.
THEN I GUESS THE OTHER THING I WOULD POINT TO THAT THE CITIES ARE DOING IS IN THE AREA
OF PARTNERSHIPS IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO FINANCING. WE ALL KNOW THAT PROVIDING DOLLARS SO PEOPLE
CAN DO THIS, WHETHER IT'S A LOAN FUND OR SOMETHING ELSE, IS CRITICAL TO HAVE RIGHT THERE WHEN
SOMEBODY IS INTERESTED IN TAKING ON ONE OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WHAT THE CITY CAN DO TO HELP WITH THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, WHETHER IT'S USING SOME OF THEIR
BONDING AUTHORITIES OR OTHER THINGS, IS A GREAT THING THAT WE SEE HAPPENING ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AS WELL.
>> AND I WOULD JUST ADD, RECENTLY THROUGH OUR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES INITIATIVE AT
H.U.D., WE'VE MADE INVESTMENTS IN 143 LOCALES OR REGIONAL GOVERNMENT JURISDICTIONS.
SO WE ARE DIRECTLY PARTNERING SINCE BACK IN 2010 WHEN WE FIRST INITIATED THE GRANT PROGRAM,
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS TO ADVANCE SUSTAINABILITY WHICH
DEFINITELY SUPPORTS ENERGY EFFICIENCY GOALS BUT ALSO INTERSECTS THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP
FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND EPA TO SUPPORT THOSE
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND REALLY EMBODYING IN THE LIVABILITY PRINCIPLES AND THINKING ABOUT
TRANSPORTATION, ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING, LAND USE AND HOUSING ISSUES AS INTERRELATED
RATHER THAN KIND OF THE SILOED FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT THEY USED TO BE.
SO WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS IN ACCOMPLISHING THOSE GOALS TOGETHER WITH THE STATE AND LOCAL
LEADERS THAT ARE REPRESENTED THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP AND THROUGH OUR DIRECT GRANTS AND ARE HOPING
TO DO MUCH MORE IN THE YEARS TO COME AS THESE GRANTEES ARE MOVING FROM PLANNING TO IMPLEMENTING
THEIR VISION FOR A HOLISTIC ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE FUTURE
THAT BUILDS OFF OF THE SUCCESS OF THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNITIES GRANT.
>> AND ALL OF THREE OF THE AGENCIES WHICH ARE PART OF THIS PARTNERSHIP HAVE OFFICES
THAT FOCUS ON THIS AND HAVE MATERIALS AND DOCUMENTS ON OUR WEBSITES WHICH I THINK WOULD
BE OF USE TO COMMUNITIES.
>> NEXT QUESTION. OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM MELODY FRAZIER
COOK AND SHE ASKS, HOW DOES THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE WORK WITH RESIDENTS AND OCCUPANTS
TO HELP ACHIEVE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY GOALS OF THEIR BUILDINGS?
HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS IS WORKING?
>> ONE OF OUR BETTER BUILDINGS PARTNERS IS THE BALTIMORE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GOING OUT ON A VISIT WITH THE H.U.D. SECRETARY JUST A COUPLE OF
WEEKS AGO TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING TOWARDS THEIR COMMITMENT OF HITTING THAT 20% PORTFOLIO
WIDE REDUCTION GOAL. AND WE WERE REALLY EXCITED TO MEET THE RESIDENTS
ON SITE AS WE TOURED. ONE OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN BALTIMORE
AND WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THE DIRECT CONNECTION THAT BOTH PROPERTY ENGAGING THE PROPERTY MANAGERS
AND O & M STAFF ALONG WITH THE RESIDENTS CAN HAVE WITH ENERGY REDUCTION.
A RECENT STUDY FOR THE BALTIMORE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOUND THAT BECAUSE OF THE RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT
PRACTICES AND O & M PRACTICES BEING IMPLEMENTED, THAT THEY WERE ALREADY WITNESSING A 30% REDUCTION
IN ENERGY. I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE WE HAVE TO LEARN
AND TOOL THAT IS WE REALLY NEED TO GET OUT THROUGH THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE AND
ACROSS THE MARKET OF WHAT STRATEGIES WORK. ONE OF OUR ENERGY INNOVATION FUND GRANTEES,
JONATHAN ROSE IS DESIGNING A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN.
THEY'RE HAVING A KICK OFF NEXT MONTH. WE'LL BE FOLLOWING THE DIFFERENT TOOLS AND
TECHNIQUES WE'RE SEEING EMERGE FROM THE FIELD AND ALSO BE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ELEVATE THOSE
THROUGH THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A CORRESPONDENT OF REALIZING ENERGY
EFFICIENCY AND IMPROVEMENT AND GETTING TO SCALE WITH RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT.
THANK YOU.
>> NEXT QUESTION. THIS COMES FROM DARREN LOVES, WHAT ARE EPA
AND H.U.D. DOING TO IMPROVE DATA SO QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS IN MULTIFAMILY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
CAN BE BENCHMARKED?
>> I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS ONE FIRST AND TRICIA CAN JOIN IN.
WE SIGNED AN MOU WITH FANNIE MAE THAT WOULD BEGIN COLLECTING THE DATA THAT WOULD BE PART
OF THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT HOW WE MIGHT BE AGENT TO PUT A 1 TO 100 SCORE ON MULTIFAMILY
BUILDINGS UNDER THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM. I KNOW WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH H.U.D. AS THEY'VE
HELPED US WITH DATA COLLECTION AS WELL. WE'RE NOW AT THE POINT WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH
OR SO BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF DATA AND IF THIS IS THE
RIGHT THING TO DO TO LABEL MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS. SO IT'S TOO BAD WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS IN A MONTH
AND I'D BE ABLE TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, BUT IT'S VERY EXCITING.
WE DO KNOW THERE'S THE VALUE OF BENCHMARKING BY ITSELF.
WE DID A STUDY AT EPA OF BUILDINGS WHICH HAD BEEN BENCHMARKED, NOT NECESSARILY JUST MULTIFAMILY,
FROM 2008 TO 2011. WHAT WE FOUND IS OVER THOSE THREE YEARS, THERE'S
A 7% IMPROVEMENT IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND 6% IN GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION.
SO JUST BENCHMARKING ITSELF DRAWS THE ATTENTION TO IMPROVING THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF BUILDINGS.
SO EVEN IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO LABEL A MULTIFAMILY BUILDING, WHICH WE HAVE NOT MADE THE DECISION
ON YES OR NO YET, BENCHMARKING ITSELF IS VERY POWERFUL IN TERMS OF HOW IT CAN HELP WITH
BUILDING OWNERS AND OTHERS REALIZE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF IMPROVEMENTS AND MAYBE
HELP THEM BECOME MORE STRATEGIC ON WHICH NEXT IMPROVEMENTS THEY WANT TO DO.
>> THIS IS A CRITICAL ISSUE AND SOMETHING I JUST CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH, THE UTILITY DATA
ACCESS IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON UNDER THE
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND THROUGH DOE'S LEADERSHIP WITH THE UTILITY DATA ACCELERATORS, I THINK
WE'RE SEEING TREMENDOUS PROGRESS WITH THOSE UTILITIES WHO ARE PARTNERING WITH CITIES AND
REALLY LEADING THE WAY. BUT WE NEED TO GROW THIS NATIONALLY.
THIS IS A NATIONAL ISSUE, BUT IT BUBBLES UP IN LOCAL AND REGIONAL CONTEXT THROUGH PUC
REGULATIONS AND THE VERSE JURISDICTIONS THAT GOVERN THE UTILITIES.
SO IT'S A DIFFICULT ONE TO ADDRESS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE SEE AS
BEING ONE OF THE MOST I'VE BEEN CALLING IT THE HOLY GRAIL THROUGH THE BETTER BUILDINGS
CHALLENGE OF HOW DO WE GET MORE UTILITIES ON BOARD TO RELEASE WHOLE BUILDING DATA IN
A STANDARDIZED FORMAT SO TOOLS LIKE PORTFOLIO MANAGER WILL WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY AND WE'LL
CONTINUE TO PUSH HERE AT H.U.D. AND COMMEND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE UTILITIES WHO ARE PAVING
THE WAY FOR THE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY SECTORS.
WE DO HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE JOINED THE
TWITTER FEED OF WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP ADVANCE UTILITY DATA ACCESS THROUGH EFFORTS LIKE THE
GREEN BUTTON INITIATIVE AND BEYOND.
>> NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM IMT AND SAYS, WE COMMEND FHA FOR REVITALIZING THEIR ENERGY
EFFICIENCY MORTGAGE PRODUCTS. ARE THERE ANY PLANS TO MARKET THE CHANGES
AND EDUCATE LENDERS? GREAT QUESTION.
TRICIA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE ON THAT?
>> SURE. OVER THE SUMMER WE HAD A GREEN MORTGAGE ROUNDTABLE
WHERE WE BROUGHT INVESTORS, LENDERS, OTHER INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO FOCUS ON
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND MORTGAGE UNDERWRITING IN THE SINGLE FAMILY SECTOR.
IT LED TO A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND POLICY IDEAS THAT WE'VE REALLY TAKEN TO HEART
HERE AT H.U.D. AND HAS RESULTED IN SOME CHANGES TO THE FHA HANDBOOK, SOME CLARIFICATION ON
HOW OUR ENERGY EFFICIENT MORTGAGE PRODUCT CAN WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY, WAYS TO INTEGRATE
SOLAR INTO THE APPRAISAL PRACTICES FOR SINGLE FAMILY.
SO ALL OF THOSE STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING NOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING
TO THE LENDERS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE THAT A PRIORITY.
>> NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM STEVEN CONLEY. HE ASKS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, ARE THERE
ANY GRANTS TO HELP PROPERTY MANAGERS BECOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT?
>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION WE ALL GET AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER.
WHERE IS THERE MONEY TO HELP? CERTAINLY AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, WE'RE
NOT PROVIDING GRANTS TO HELP ENERGY MANAGERS BECOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.
WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO IS PROVIDE THE TOOLS AND SORT OF THE KNOW HOW AND MODELS
SO THAT PEOPLE CAN REALLY DO WHAT IS LARGELY, IN MANY CASES, IN THEIR OWN SORT OF FINANCIAL
TO THEIR OWN FINANCIAL BENEFIT. CERTAINLY WE KNOW THERE'S SPLITS IN INCENTIVES
IN MULTIFAMILY SPACE WHERE IT'S HARD TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ISN'T REALLY BRINGING THOSE TYPES
OF DOLLARS TO THE TABLE, BUT CERTAINLY THERE ARE OTHER PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SUCH
AS WITH THE UTILITIES THAT ARE SEEKING ENERGY SAVINGS SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO BUILD THE
NEXT POWER PLANT. SO THOSE SAVINGS HAVE GREAT VALUE TO THE UTILITIES
AND THEY WILL PAY FOR THOSE SAVINGS THROUGH INCENTIVES AND OTHER TYPES OF ASSISTANCE TO
IMPROVE THE BUILDINGS. I THINK, YOU KNOW, TRICIA REFERRED TO A GREAT
PLACE TO GO LOOK FOR THOSE INCENTIVES. IT WAS THE DESIRE DATABASE.
THAT'S ONE GREAT PLACE AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF OTHERS OF STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS THAT
ARE OUT THERE AS WELL.
>> OUR NEXT QUESTION COMES FROM GABRIEL Z.
WHAT IS THERE FOR BUILDINGS FOR RETROFITTING? >> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, TOO.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT EFFICIENCY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR EFFICIENCY IN THE NATION'S BUILDINGS
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM, WHAT YOU SEE IS THERE'S TYPICALLY SORT OF SIMILAR POTENTIAL IN OLDER
BUILDINGS VERSUS BUILDINGS OF 20, 30 YEARS AGO OR EVEN SOME OF THE RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED
BUILDINGS, SO JUST GREAT POTENTIAL SAVINGS IN SO MUCH OF OUR EXISTING BUILDING STOCK.
BUT I GUESS WHEN WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE OLDER BUILDINGS, THEY CAN HAVE PARTICULAR ISSUES,
SOMETIMES HISTORIC PRESERVATION ISSUES OR SOMETHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
BUT CERTAINLY THERE'S A LOT OF TOOLS AND RESOURCES OUT THERE TO HELP WITH THESE BUILDINGS.
I ACTUALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND VISIT ONE OF OUR SHOWCASED BUILDINGS UNDER
THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE IN LOS ANGELES A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
ACTUALLY, IT WAS TO VISIT THE ICONIC L.A. LIBRARY BUILT IN 1920, AND THEY WERE ABLE
1923, I BELIEVE. THEY WERE ABLE TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF
THAT BUILDING BY 20% BY INCREASING OR IMPROVING THE CHILLERS IN THE BASEMENT, IMPROVING THE
LIGHTING AND PUTTING A NICE WHITE ROOF WHICH HAVEN'T TOTALLY WHITE ON TOP OF THE ROOF.
IT WAS TAINTED JUST SO IT WOULDN'T CREATE GLARE FROM THE OTHER BUILDINGS.
IT WAS GREAT TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO IN THAT BUILDING.
AGAIN, I'D GO BACK TO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE IS ALL ABOUT, TRYING
TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT MODELS OF SO MANY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE OUT THERE SO
THAT PEOPLE CAN SORT OF GET THEIR HANDS ON THEM AND FIGURE OUT SOME GREAT SOLUTION PATHWAYS.
>> I WOULD JUST ADD, A NUMBER OF THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES GRANTEES ARE INVOLVED IN EFFORTS
TO ADDRESS DIRECTLY THE MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND HAVE BEEN VERY ENTREPRENEURIAL AND THOUGHTFUL
ON HOW TO LEVERAGE A VARIETY OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SOURCES OF CAPITAL TO MAKE ENERGY
EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS. THERE'S ALSO THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING
VEHICLE, TOO, THAT'S TIED TO THE RELAUNCH OR EXPANSION OF BETTER BUILDINGS UNDER THE
ACCELERATORS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN A REAL RENEWED COMMITMENT TO GETTING MORE PERFORMANCE
CONTRACTS OUT THERE IN THE MARKET WITH LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS LEADING THE WAY.
AND THEN ONE THING, I KNOW THIS IS FOCUSED ON MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, WITH THE FHA QUESTION
THAT WAS ASKED EARLIER, I JUST ALSO WANTED TO RAISE A DIRECT RESOURCE THAT FHA OFFERS
RIGHT NOW FOR SINGLE FAMILY RETROFITS, THAT'S THE POWER SAVER LOAN PROGRAM.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN THAT PRODUCT, WE'LL PUT THROUGH THE TWITTER FEED A LINK TO THAT
RESOURCE. IT'S AVAILABLE IN 23 STATES RIGHT NOW.
>> AND ACTUALLY, THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THE PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING, BECAUSE THAT
IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR CITIES. INDEED, WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER ANOTHER ONE OF
THE BETTER BUILDINGS CHALLENGE ACCELERATORS WHERE STATES AND CITIES HAVE COME TOGETHER.
I THINK RIGHT NOW THEY'VE COMMITTED I THINK $1.5 BILLION TO IMPROVEMENTS IN PUBLIC FACILITIES,
YOU KNOW, AND TO WORK TOGETHER, AGAIN, TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN BUT TO DO IT IN A STREAMLINED
WAY WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE THE STANDARDIZATION WHEREVER IT MAKES SENSE WITH THE HOPE THAT
THROUGH WORKING TOGETHER AND SHARING THE TOOLS AND MODELS THAT THEY DEVELOP, PEOPLE WILL
HAVE EVEN BETTER TEMPLATES FOR MOVING FORWARD AND REDUCING THE TRANSACTION COSTS.
AND CERTAINLY, ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS IS SOMETHING WE SAW USED A LOT AT THE LOCAL
LEVEL THROUGH THE RECOVERY ACT INVESTMENTS TO HELP UPGRADE A WHOLE NUMBER OF PUBLIC FACILITIES.
SO THAT IS A GREAT MECHANISM TO USE. I THINK MOST STATES CAN DO IT, BUT WE ARE
LOOKING TO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT WHO SYSTEM HAS ISSUES IN THAT AREA AND WOULD LIKE SOME
HELP TO TAKE UP THE NEXT STEP WHEREVER THEY ARE.
>> THIS IS TURNING OUT TO BE A GREAT DISCUSSION. BUT WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'RE ALMOST GETTING THERE. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ONE LAST QUESTION FROM
THE GROUP. SO LAST QUESTION COMES FROM THE FAIR HOUSING
PROJECT IN VIRGINIA. THEY ASK, EXPLAIN THE CONNECTION
[INAUDIBLE] PLANNING AND ZONING.
HOW DO THESE AREAS INTERACT TOGETHER? TRICIA OR ELIZABETH?
>> I'LL START AND I THINK OTHERS WILL WANT TO JOIN IN.
EPA DOES HAVE AN OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES WHICH HAS PUT TOGETHER MANY MATERIALS AND
RESOURCES WHICH WOULD BE THAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES COULD USE.
I THINK WE MAY HAVE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS MONITORING THIS TWITTER TOWN HALL WHO
COULD SEND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SO MANY OF THOSE MATERIALS.
>> TRICIA?
>> GREAT. SO THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES INVESTMENTS
THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIP DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE INTERSECTION OF THESE VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES.
ONE OF THE CONDITIONS OF THE GRANT IS DOING A REGIONAL EQUITY ASSESSMENT.
SO IT'S BROADER THAN THE PHYSICAL THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE PHYSICAL SPACES THAT WE'RE TOUCHING,
BUT THINKING ABOUT EQUITY AND INCLUSION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING
AS A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN PLACES WHERE WE'RE PUTTING TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, BUILDING
NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THINKING ABOUT BROWNS FIELDS REDEVELOPMENT AND RECLAMATION.
SO THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THE GRANTEES HAVE MADE COULD POINT THE QUESTIONER TO SOME REAL MODELS
THAT CAN BE REPLICATED ACROSS THE COUNTRY. JUST ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS IN AUSTIN,
TEXAS WHERE THERE IS UNDER THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES GRANT AN INTEGRATED RAIL SYSTEM
NETWORK THAT'S BEING BUILT OUT AS PART OF THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT WILL
ADDRESS THE PROXIMITY OF HOUSING AND JOB ACCESS ALONG WITH EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
THAT IS BUILD OFF OF THE BRICKS AND MORTAR TIED TO THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
>> KATHLEEN, ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
>> YEAH. I'LL JUST ADD, ONE OF THE ENGAGEMENTS WE'VE
HAD WITH CITIES WITH THE RECOVERY ACT PERIOD AND CONTINUING IS ASSISTING THEM IN SORT OF
CLEAN ENERGY PLANNING. WHAT THAT DOES IS IT SORT OF GIVES THEM SORT
OF THE TEMPLATE FOR HOW TO GO OUT AND WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, THE LEADING INFLUENCERS IN
THEIR COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP A PLAN USING WHATEVER TOOLS REALLY THEY HAVE AVAILABLE, MECHANISMS,
ORDINANCES THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL AND OTHERS TO HELP DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE
TO THEM. SO WE'VE HAD SOMETHING CALLED THE CLEAN ENERGY
PLANNING ACADEMY FOR AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL. ALL THOSE TOOLS, RESOURCES OR ON OUR WEB AS
WELL FOR SOMEONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
>> AND ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT DOE OFFERS THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THE SUNSHINE INITIATIVE,
WHICH RIGHT NOW HAS THE SOLAR CHALLENGE WHERE CITIES ARE COMPETING TO BRING DOWN THE COST
OF SOLAR ENERGY WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING IT COST COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER FORMS OF ELECTRICITY
WITHIN THE DECADE. SO THIS IS A REALLY LABORATORY ON THE GROUND
FOR CITIES TO ADDRESS THE DEPLOYMENT OF CLEAN ENERGY.
WE SEE THAT AS REALLY THE VALUE OF THE PROPOSITION IS IT'S A DRIVER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND
JOB CREATION, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE BENEFITS OF CLEAN ENERGY IN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES
AND IT'S A WAY TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT PARTNERSHIP.
>> EXCELLENT. WELL, I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY WHO FOLLOWED THE
TWITTER VIA LIVE STREAM LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, LET ME GIVE YOU A FEW WEB SIDES.
VISIT US AT HUD.GOV, ENERGY.GOV AND EPA.GOV. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING.
UNTIL NEXT TIME.