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August 7, 2024, 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET
FEMP IACET: 0.5 CEU
Level: Introductory
Utility Open Houses are virtual events where federal agencies will learn about utility offerings and incentive programs focused on key pathways to achieving federal energy goals. Representatives from the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) will provide key information on these programs and the support FEMP offers to agencies and utilities, and utility representatives will provide information on existing programs and how to sign up to participate in them.
This open house features Dominion Energy Virginia. These events are open to the public, but recommended for those federal agencies within the respective utility's service territory
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, attendees will be able to:
- Identify innovative carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) purchasing programs that facilitate the procurement of clean and sustainable energy.
- Select utility energy service contract (UESC) programs that allow agencies to leverage savings from energy conservation measures to fund comprehensive energy projects and efficiency improvements.
- Recognize the utility and energy management services that can be obtained through the streamlined U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Areawide Contract procurement process.
- Identify grid-interactive efficient buildings and how utilities are working with customers to implement smart technologies that provide demand flexibility while co-optimizing for energy cost, grid services, and occupant needs.
- Recognize the latest electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) procurement options from their utility, including turnkey solutions that support federal agencies in the adoption of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation solutions.
- Select resilience programs offered by their serving utility that are designed to enhance energy security, fortify infrastructure, and ensure continuity of operations.
- Identify how to take advantage of demand response and time-variable pricing programs designed to reduce costs and optimize energy consumption based on real-time needs.
Instructors
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.
Ethan Epstein is the program manager and technical lead for FEMP's resilience program.
At FEMP, Ethan works with both the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide federal facilities with technical assistance and develop resources and tools focused around energy/water resilience and climate change.
This includes developing strategies to integrate various programmatic efforts including but not limited to climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience, decarbonization, resilience quantification, and resilience planning.
Jason Koman is an energy technology program specialist at FEMP. He leads FEMP's work focused on grid-integrated efficient buildings (GEBs), water sustainability and resilience, and cybersecurity.
Jason began his career in the non-profit space with the Clinton Foundation as a global program manager for energy efficient, low carbon buildings. Moving into the private sector as a consultant to DOE during the Obama and Trump administrations, Jason rose to the role of managing director at RE Tech Advisors, leading a team of 30+ consultants to deliver sustainability programs for the US EPA and DOE.
Jason decided to return to DOE in 2021 to focus on decarbonizing federal government infrastructure and helping agencies meet their sustainability goals under the Biden administration. He holds a Bachelor's in Public Policy from Trinity College, Hartford and a Master's in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
Billie Holecek has worked as a research associate at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2020. She helps support federal agencies by providing technical and procurement guidance for the adoption of distributed energy resources.
She also works to support both federal and state offices to provide support for their energy-efficient product procurement efforts.
Billie attended the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry where she obtained a Bachelor's of Science in sustainable energy management.
Nichole Liebov is a program manager at FEMP focused on energy and project procurement development services for federal agencies.
She leads the Distributed Energy and Energy Procurement program. The Distributed Energy program supports federal agencies in identifying and implementing on-site projects and off-site procurement options by providing technical assistance and trainings and developing tools and resources.
She also leads the interagency Renewable Energy Working Group, a forum for information sharing among agencies regarding resources, best practices, and case studies related to on-site project development, implementation, and operations and maintenance as well as off-site clean electricity procurement.
Nichole holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Virginia.
Ebony Atkinson is the GSA Public Utility Services Branch Chief and Contracting Officer for the GSA's Natural Gas Acquisition and Areawide Program.
Under the Public Utility Services Branch, Mrs. Atkinson also oversees the Utility Delegations Program. Mrs. Atkinson's work involves providing client agencies with natural gas supply, access and ease of ordering and managing utility services (i.e., electricity, natural gas, water, wastewater, and steam), and providing access to unique energy procurement and contracting expertise.
Over the past 13 years, she has led and supported energy and acquisition programs while providing contract management and technical support to government clients. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Art and Education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
About FEMP Training
The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) provides live and on-demand training to foster and maintain a high-performance workforce that constructs, operates, and maintains energy-efficient and cost-effective federal facilities. Choose from over 120 free courses spanning topics like project financing, facility and fleet optimization, fleet management, resilience, sustainable product procurement, and more.
FEMP is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and awards IACET continuing education units (CEUs) upon the successful completion of select courses. FEMP training is provided through the National Institute of Building Sciences' Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) learning management system.