Request for Interest: NASEO Foundations of ESPC Trainings for Rural and Underserved Community Agencies

NASEO and the Energy Services Coalition (ESC) are offering a second round of no-cost, state-specific Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) training courses to interested State Energy Offices and state/local/institutional (MUSH) market stakeholders in rural or underserved communities. ESPC enables states, localities, and MUSH facility owners to leverage private capital for energy efficiency upgrades, with costs recovered through energy, water, and operational savings. Over $50 billion in energy-saving investments have been financed through ESPC over the past three decades, with potential for over $300 billion in additional cost-effective projects nationally.

NASEO and ESC will work with up to five State Energy Offices to host two-hour training courses covering ESPC basics, with emphasis on how state governments can facilitate these investments and how facility managers can initiate energy performance enhancements. The training will address unique barriers facing rural and underserved community building owners and strategies to overcome them. Specific outreach will target school districts serving high proportions of free- or reduced-price lunch-eligible students, school districts with locale codes 41-43, public housing agencies, and local governments/school districts in rural areas.

Participating State Energy Offices will be responsible for identifying and recruiting trainees, co-hosting the training, promoting the event, developing the agenda, recruiting speakers, and providing an online platform. NASEO and ESC will customize training to address state-specific ESPC aspects and provide ESPC program managers with opportunities to explain state program basics to market stakeholders.

State Energy Offices interested in developing targeted trainings in their states must express interest by January 24, 2022, by contacting Dylan Tucker at dtucker@naseo.org. Requests should include information about specific rural or underserved agencies and stakeholder organizations the state hopes to educate. States that previously expressed interest need not take further action.