REEEP speaks at G20 Clean Energy Ministerial
Abu Dhabi, 06.04.2011 - REEEP International Secretariat
Dr. Marianne Osterkorn, REEEP’s Director General spoke at a high-level roundtable discussion, "Regulatory Strategies to Accelerate Utility-Scale Energy Efficiency" at the G20 Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) meeting on 6th April in Abu Dhabi.
This discussion amongst senior policy-makers and civil society representatives was moderated by Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy. Participants included Steven Chu, Secretary, Department of Energy, United States; Dian Grueneich, Former Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission; Chris Huhne, Secretary of State from the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change; José Antonio Meade, Secretary, Secretariat of Energy, Mexico; and Marc Spitzer, Commissioner of the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
This roundtable zeroed in specifically on the energy efficiency opportunities offered by utilities, particularly demand side management. McKinsey estimate about 14% or 2.9 GtCO2e of abatement opportunities come from energy efficiency in buildings and industry, which can be addressed with utility demand side management.
The gathering considered several key questions including:
- What are some examples of successful regulatory frameworks that remove disincentives for utilities to promote energy efficiency?
- How can CEM governments encourage international cooperation on the design of effective utility efficiency programs?
- How can the CEM maximize the value of relevant initiatives such as the Global Cooperation on Utility Delivery of Energy Efficiency (GCUDEE) and the Super-Efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD)?