Energy Efficiency For All: Market Development at Ameren...

Energy Efficiency For All:

Market Development at Ameren Illinois

August 7, 2019

2 © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Key Topics for Today’s Webinar

> Discover why it is important to deliver energy-efficient benefits

to customers who need it most

> Hear how utilities and organizations can incorporate market

development efforts into existing energy efficiency portfolios

> Learn about holistic approaches to energy efficiency project

management and program cross-promotion ideas

> Find out why it is valuable to focus on diversity in the energy

efficiency space, the recruitment of diverse contractors, and

workforce development


MARKET DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW

ANGIE OSTASZEWSKI

Project Manager for Energy Efficiency Strategy & Innovation

Ameren Illinois


About Me and My Role

> Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Sociology from Knox College

> Master of Business Administration from Bradley University

> Background in community and economic development with

Local Initiatives Support Corporation, national community

development non-profit

> Joined Ameren Illinois Community & Public Relations

department in May 2016, then Ameren Illinois Energy

Efficiency in October 2018

> Manage Market Development Initiative forecasting and budget,

program planning, internships, scholarships, and several

community partner projects


Strategy & Innovation at Ameren Illinois

> New department established in 2018

> Focus areas include

> Market Development Initiative (MDI)

> Regulatory

> New and emerging technologies


Origin of Market Development Initiative

> How the Market Development Initiative was created

> Future Energy Jobs Act (FEJA)

> Ameren Illinois CEO Richard Mark’s vision:

Energy Efficiency for All

> Commission approval for 2018-2021 plan


Market Development Initiative Goals

> Initiative Goals

> Engage customers who have not

previously benefitted from energy

efficiency

> Increase number of energy

efficiency jobs available to local

and diverse candidates

> Support new or growing energy

efficiency businesses


Focus on Community Partnerships

> Community-based partnerships

> Residential education and outreach

> Events (community outreach, booths, individual appointments, etc.)

> Small business education and outreach

> Direct installs

> Workforce development

> Program Ally expansion and development

> Internships

> Scholarships

> Training and certification


A New Approach to Energy Efficiency

> Transforming the approach to energy

efficiency

> Identifying existing customer touch

points with non-profit and community-

based partners

> Identifying barriers and meeting

customers where they are

> Including energy efficiency in wrap-

around services

> Creating a true workforce pipeline

(education, job training, and job

placement)


Market Development Outcomes

> Outcomes to-date

> 6,500 customers engaged

> 82 business participants

> 33 jobs created

> 219 events

> 6,200 event participants

> 4,300 energy-saving kits distributed

> 3,800 efficiency measures installed


Year 1 Success: Internship Program

> 11 employers

> 13 interns

> Participation from program

allies, non-profits, and

community action agencies

> Kick-off training, weekly

webinars, and wrap-up

celebration


Year 1 Success: Scholarship Program

> Scholarship program

collaborated with six

community colleges across

service territory

> Awarded to diverse

candidates studying HVAC

or construction management

> 3 recipients per school


Other Year 1 Successes

> Enhanced relationships with

Community Action Agencies

(CAA)

> Smart Savers

> Targeted low and moderate

income customers

> Google Nest-E or ecobee3 lite

smart thermostat

> Custom web portal for education

and enrollment


Key Takeaways

> Work with trusted community partners

> Leverage each partner’s individual strengths, including

> Event planning

> Individual counseling

> Wrap-around services

> In-home upgrades and installs

> Relationship building

> Focus on relationship-building and setting realistic and

achievable goals

> Take standard metrics and apply customized strategies


PROJECT COORDINATION& CROSS PROMOTION

JOHN CARROLL

Market Development Project Coordinator

Leidos



> Background

> Residential Energy Auditor

> Former Program Ally in Ameren Illinois Programs (2011-2014),

working with contractors and homeowners

> Employed by Leidos, who serves as prime implementer of

Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Portfolio

> Primarily work in three areas

> Residential energy efficiency technical guidance

> Project manager

> Bridge between Market Development Initiative (MDI) team and

Portfolio team


MDI Technical Guidance

> Training with new MDI partners

> Vetting technical details of project partnerships

> Translating program expectations to Community Action

Agencies (CAA)

> Assess potential for adoption of new measures in residential

energy efficiency

> Smart home support


Role as Project Manager

> Staffing grant with Program Ally

> Workforce development with

multiple program partners,

including Smart Energy Design

Assistance Center (SEDAC)

> Neighborhood Energy

Efficiency Day

> Support other project managers

and partners in their MDI efforts


Bridge Between MDI and EE Portfolio

> More collaboration, more meetings

> Designate communication channels

> Anticipate changes, challenges to

efforts of both teams

> Training of Community Action

Agency partners and new

residential program allies

> Identify program allies for enhanced

EE program participation


Streamlined Pathway for EE Projects

> Many new partners at the table promoting Ameren Illinois’ EE

programs

> For EE portfolio staff, introducing new processes and partners

takes time and requires additional work

> Consistent messaging is important

> Multiple MDI project managers, weekly calls with all MDI

partners, monthly meetings with staff, MDI staff meeting with

portfolio staff

> To measure success of referral partnerships, tracking

customer leads and project referrals is important


Innovative Partnership Example

> Garden Hills neighborhood

in Champaign, IL

> Provide incentives for EE

measures in homes

> Train existing CAA staff to

participate as program

allies and perform home

energy audits

> Utilize funding from both

city and state efforts


Key Takeaways

> Importance of setting upfront expectations with community

organizations and partners

> Frequent communication between internal and external

stakeholders involved with project implementation

> Consistent messaging in presentations and materials

> Identify other potential resources (financial or non-financial)

that can also be leveraged by customers and organizations

> Collect and analyze referral data to determine program impacts

> Keep your eyes and ears open for new opportunities to

integrate energy efficiency program operations


DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

CARLA WALKER-MILLER

President and CEO

Walker-Miller Energy Services



> Civil Engineer by degree

> 18-year energy industry career before starting Walker-Miller

> Started Walker-Miller in 2000 as a distributor for medium and

high voltage electric equipment

> Mid-recession, pivoted to energy efficiency in 2010

> Committed to

> Energy efficiency as economic development

> Changing lives through energy efficiency

> Catapulting diversity in energy efficiency


What Is Energy Efficiency For All?

> Energy efficiency IS local economic

development

> The capacity to change lives

> Build communities

> Create local energy industry jobs

> Drive participation of hard-to-engage families

> Deliver equitable energy savings regardless of status or income

> Engage a broader group of residents and businesses

> Workforce development

> Diverse Business Enterprises (DBEs)

> Local Business Enterprises (LBEs)


What Is Energy Efficiency For All?

> Diversity is key to energy efficiency for all

> Enhances EE program results

> Minimum requirements for successful diversity discussions

> A willingness to be uncomfortable

> Vocabularies of respect

> Safe spaces


Diversity and Performance

The Diversity Discussion - What’s the likelihood that

companies in the top quartile for diversity will financially

outperform those in the bottom quartile?

Ethnically-diverse companies

35%more likely

to outperform

Gender-diverse companies

15%

more likelyto outperform


The Elements of Diversity

RaceAge

RaceExperiencesPhysical Abilities

DIVERSITYCulture

Perspectives

Skills

Gender

Sexual Orientation

Job Level

NationalityReligion

Language

Thinking Styles

Ethnicity

Gender Identity


Equality vs. Equity

Equity recognizes and seeks to mitigate historic barriers to participation

Original Graphic by Prof. Craig Froehle, Univ. of Cincinnati

Equality Equity


Meaningful Participation in EE

In order to deliver meaningful participation, new program

models must include:

> Diverse workforce participation

> How, when, and from where do we recruit teams?

> Do our internal teams look like the communities we serve?

> Diverse customer program participation

> How, when, and where is outreach conducted?

> Procurement from diverse and local businesses

> Flowback dollars to the local community


Diversity and Inclusion in EE

> Success = Diverse Business Enterprise

(DBE) and local revenue growth

> Creating infrastructure for sustainable growth

> Requires intentionality, resources

> Innovative effort / partnerships

> Collaborations with local CBOs

> Identify local and diverse BEs

> Certification to aid long term growth

opportunities


Diverse Business Certifications

DBE certifications are not always achievable for small businesses


Success Metrics

The Primary DBE success metric is growth

> Identify spend opportunity

> Match opportunities to local and diverse BEs

> Create a tracking mechanism

> Dollars in the spend pipeline with LBEs and

DBEs

> Dollars spent year-to-date

> Number of DBEs engaged

> Number of DBEs moved to certification


Success Metrics

The primary DBE success metric is growth


Key Takeaways

> Create inclusive internal and regulatory EE policies

> Recognize three diversity opportunities in every EE effort

> Internal teams: workforce participation

> Ratepayers: diverse program participation

> Procurement: diverse and local procurement

> Track flowback dollars invested back into the local economy


Thank You!


Questions?

Leidos | Energy Management Solutions

[email protected]

leidos.com/ee

19-Leidos-0802-20968

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