To achieve decarbonization and other federal goals, it is increasingly critical for agencies to consider the value of Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESCs) as a tool for upgrading energy and water infrastructure and installing on-site carbon pollution-free (CFE) projects, with little to no upfront costs. This three-day workshop will help attendees understand the fundamental elements of a UESC and how these limited-source performance contracts can be used to maximize investment into energy and water conservation measures. The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and experts from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) national labs will present best practices aimed at assisting agency staff, utilities, and energy service companies (ESCOs) in the successful development of UESCs, including topics such as acquisition planning, contractor selection, site assessments, proposal review, and performance assurance.
Attendees must register for each day separately:
Instructors
Tracy Niro, Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy Read Bio
Tracy Niro is the Utility Program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Tracy is a recognized expert in energy policy, federal utility service contracting, and utility energy service contracts. She also oversees electric and natural gas utility acquisitions for DOE sites nationwide and serves as the chair of the Federal Utility Partnership Working Group. Tracy was a 2009 Presidential Management Fellow, has completed detail assignments to the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the International Energy Agency, and was awarded a Fulbright Professional Scholarship to conduct energy research in Australia. Tracy began her career as a staff accountant for an investor-owned utility and has 20 years of experience in the energy industry including past experience leading the DOE FEMP Power Purchase Agreement Program and serving as coordinator for floating offshore wind regulation in Hawaii at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, earned her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Chandra Shah, Senior Project Leader, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Read Bio
Chandra Shah is a senior project leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). She has been supporting the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) since 1998--helping agencies purchase off-site renewable energy, implement distributed energy projects, and achieve energy/water goals through utility energy service contracts (UESC) and other utility partnerships. She is a CEM and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Washington and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
Deb Vasquez, Senior Program Leader, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Read Bio
Deb Vasquez is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) technical lead for the Federal Energy Management Program's (FEMP) utility energy service contract team (UESC). She provides technical support, training, and resource development for federal government energy projects that leverage utility industry capabilities and private financing to improve federal government facilities infrastructure.
Phil Voss, Senior Project Leader, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Read Bio
Phil Voss provides technical assistance for alternative financing programs and projects, supporting the the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program(FEMP) energy savings program contract (ESPC), utility energy service contract (UESC), and distributed energy initiatives. His work includes cross-coordination of these initiatives, performance-period support for ESPC projects, training development and delivery, and efforts to advance implementation of energy sales agreements at federal facilities. Phil also has experience managing project technical assistance, strategic energy planning, and representing National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) with a range of federal and non-federal clients. Phil has a B.S. in architectural engineering from North Carolina A&T State University.
Jeff Gingrich, Project Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Read Bio
Jeff Gingrich manages program and training development for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Utility Team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He is an advisor in supporting development of utility energy service contract (UESC) projects and develops resources and curriculum for the internationally accredited UESC training courses for federal agencies and regulated utilities. In addition, Jeff supports a portfolio of projects at NREL that include energy savings performance contracts and Integrated Urban Services in the ASEAN region.
John Myhre, MBA, Project Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Read Bio
John works for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), providing training, technical analysis, and support for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) in the areas of performance contracting and distributed energy procurement. Prior to joining NREL, John served as a construction manager and public works operations manager in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps and as a mechanical engineer for the General Services Administration's Region 9 in San Francisco.
Matt Joyner, Project Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Read Bio
Matt works as a project manager in NREL's Project Development and Finance Group within the Accelerated Deployment and Decision Support Center. His work is primarily focused on supporting the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) in performance contracting and distributed energy procurement. Prior to joining NREL, Matt was an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked as a construction project manager with NORESCO. He has experience overseeing and managing projects that include building management system and HVAC control upgrades, LED lighting retrofits, boiler and chiller installations, and combined heat and power plant build outs.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, attendees will be able to:
- Develop an acquisition plan and scope of work that sets up a UESC for success and maximizes potential to meet energy, water, and decarbonization goals;
- Explain how and why agencies may contract with a serving utility without full and open competition, and what needs to be documented in the contract file;
- Describe key components of the project development process, including best practices for conducting preliminary assessments and detailed investment-grade audits; and
- Identify the responsibilities for tracking and reporting UESC data.
