Montpelier, VT—Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) today announced seven state clean State Leadership in Clean Energy (SLICE) Awards to programs and projects that demonstrate leadership, effectiveness, and innovation in clean energy. The second annual SLICE awards were made at The Monocle restaurant in Washington, DC, before an audience of state clean energy fund managers, federal energy program managers, renewable energy advocates, congressional staff, and invited press.
The programs and projects awarded this year for their uniquely effective and innovative approaches to deploying clean energy are: California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research Program/Advanced Energy Recovery System, California Energy Commission’s Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Community Scale Wind Initiative, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Clean Energy Program’s Local Government Energy Audit, Minnesota’s Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund’s Renewable Energy Kit for Remote Telecom Equipment, Energy Trust of Oregon’s Solarize Portland, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Feed-In-Tariff Program.
Through the SLICE awards, CESA is recognizing the bold leadership states are providing in moving the clean energy economy forward. “Today, the states are the major driving force in funding renewable energy projects throughout the U.S.,” said CESA’s Executive Director, Mark Sinclair. “States understand that clean energy has a key role in driving their environmental and economic progress. In these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to champion state efforts to invest in the nation’s clean energy future."
CESA’s SLICE awards recognize the state programs that are most effectively accelerating adoption of clean energy technologies and advancing energy markets. The state programs honored by the SLICE awards have funded and supported innovative programs, established funds that provide critical capital investment for clean energy programs, and have collaborated effectively with industry partners, utility commissions, and local governments.
CESA member organizations from across the U.S. submitted nominations for the SLICE awards. Winners were chosen by a panel of distinguished judges, all experts in clean energy, including: Michael Northrop (Program Director, Rockefeller Brothers Fund), Gilbert Sperling (Director for the Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy), Glen Andersen (Energy Policy Specialist, National Conference of State Legislatures), Susan Sloan (Director of State Relations at the American Wind Energy Association), Robert Thresher (Senior Fellow at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory), and Scott Sklar (President of the Stella Group).
The awards reception was held as part of CESA’s biannual conference, at which members have the opportunity to join forces and learn about new programs, tools, and funds available for accelerating clean energy deployment.
Source: Clean Energy States Alliance