Spencer Municipal UtilitiesResource Conservation Coordinator
Jan. 2010 - Jun. 2011As Resource Conservation Coordinator, I administered all aspects of SMU's energy efficiency and water conservation programs. Day-to-day administration of the program includes communicating with customers on energy concerns, processing requests for incentives, and conducting home energy audits. Home energy audits include in-home testing utilizing blower door testing and thermography, and the creation of custom audit reports for customers with recommendations on energy and water savings measures. In addition to daily administration of the program, I am also in charge of setting the direction for our utility's resource conservation policies. This includes continual assessment of the programs efficacy and initiating new efforts to educate customers about the importance of energy and water conservation. In 2010, I led efforts for the community's successful application for an Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant on behalf of the City of Spencer, Spencer Municipal Utilities, and several non-profit organizations. The nearly $250,000 in federal funding (through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) was used for energy efficiency upgrades that will save nearly 300,000 kilowatt-hours of energy annually. I also led successful efforts for Spencer Municipal Utilities to receive grants for two projects aimed at customer education. A Iowa Power Fund Community Grant of approximately $26,000 is currently funding the Spencer Energy Efficiency Initiative, which includes various educational events and workshops for residential and commercial customers. We also received a grant of approximately $7,000 from the American Public Power Association for the SMU Neg-A-Watt Challenge. During this innovative customer contest, scheduled to begin in August 2011, five Spencer households will try to reduce their energy usage by the greatest percentage through behavioral changes and energy efficiency improvements to their homes.