FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2014

Contacts: Shelly Baron, 501-537-0190 or shelly@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org
Steve Patterson, 501-537-0190 or steve@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org

Rick Marsh, Director of the Industrial Energy Efficiency Network, to address utility and industry energy efficiency programs in the Southeast

Little Rock, AR – Turning industrial energy use into a competitive advantage will be among the topics covered by award winning energy efficiency expert Rick Marsh, at a luncheon in Little Rock on May 14 hosted by the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation (AAEF) at the Copper Grill Events Room, 300 E. 3rd St., Little Rock, from 11:30am – 1:00pm.   

The event is now filled to capacity through advance registration, AAEF announced today.

The program is the first in a series sponsored by AAEF to highlight advanced energy technologies that add value in jobs and energy cost savings to the Arkansas economy.  Marsh, founder of the Industrial Energy Efficiency Network, will draw from his years of experience with energy efficiency in the manufacturing sector to share observations on the current energy efficiency market, along with key insights gleaned from manufacturing firms with world-class energy programs.

Marsh will discuss his broad work and collaborative efforts in the Southeast, as well as the best management practices that industrial and commercial ratepayers are implementing that make sense and are cost-effective.  Marsh received a 2013 Champion of Energy Efficiency Award from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy for “leadership in industrial energy efficiency in the Southeast, and for serving as a mentor to other industrial energy efficiency professionals around the country.”

Program topics on May 14 will include:

  • Energy savings project trends ranging from the low-hanging fruit to ways that further reduce energy intensity as an energy program matures;
  • Approaches to energy management from advanced systems to low cost practices that are immediately actionable – including unique opportunities with employee engagement;
  • The potential for utility partnerships underscores the critical role stakeholders play in advancing energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities.

The Industrial Energy Efficiency Network, where Marsh still serves as Executive Director, is an open resource where an ever-growing list of manufacturers exchange best practices in energy management, elevate specific energy efficiency projects and discuss available resources to support energy goals.  In this unique program, manufacturing firms are united in a cross-sector, collaborative, and peer-to-peer context for information exchanges.  Marsh has managed energy efficiency projects spanning the residential, commercial and industrial sectors for stakeholders including the Energy Foundation, US Department of Energy, the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, the Tennessee State Energy Office, the Tennessee Tech Industrial Assessment Center, and several private sector clients. Marsh currently serves as an advisor to the Tennessee Valley Authority, sits on the board for the Industrial Energy Technology Conference and is a contributor for various state and national level working groups that support the creation and adoption of energy efficiency resources – including the SEE Action Network and the National Governor’s Association Policy Academy Program.

Members of the media are encouraged to attend: Please contact Shelly Baron at (501) 537-0190, (501) 655-2243 or shelly@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org for information on media credentials.

Arkansas Advanced Energy Association is a business group dedicated to growing Arkansas’s economy by expanding our energy workforce and manufacturing base through the increased development, manufacture, and utilization of advanced energy technologies. www.arkansasadvancedenergy.com

The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation is the educational affiliate of the AAEA.  The Foundation promotes greater public understanding of advanced energy in Arkansas through research, public education programs and economic and workforce development. The Foundation is dedicated to informing the energy policy debate with well-researched, fact-based data on the advanced energy economy in Arkansas and by providing a public forum where state leaders can address Arkansas’s energy challenges for the future. www.arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org

Report Shows Global Economic Impacts of Advanced Energy
A report released in January 2013 by Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) shows that advanced energy was a $1.1 trillion global market in 2011, larger than pharmaceutical manufacturing worldwide. Read the full report here: http://arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org/files/dmfile/AEEIEconomicImpactofAdvancedEnergy-Final.pdf

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