Taking National Programs Local: Strategies for Reaching Out to Local Government Decision-Makers to Promote Energy Efficient Procurement

Katherine Johnson, KJ Consulting
Carol Sabo, PA Consulting

Keywords

Abstract

There is considerable interest among state and local governments and national and regional laboratories to develop initiatives that raise the level of awareness and purchase of energy-efficient equipment and appliances. So far, most activities have been confined to state targets or individual jurisdictions- overlooking purchases at the local level.

Local jurisdictions, counties, cities, villages and towns, spend significant dollars each year on purchasing and operating office equipment, such as computers, copiers, faxes, and printers. Preliminary estimates indicate that New York local governments purchase more $70 million annually in computers and related office equipment. If the counties in New York State purchased and enabled the energy-saving features of energy-efficient office equipment for 15% of their purchases, they could save more than $1.5 million annually in energy bills.

Recently, several initiatives have been launched to reach out to local to governments. These include activities currently underway by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and The New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), to support the national activities sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.

Reaching local governments won’t be easy. It requires developing unique approaches to appeal to a wide range of policy-makers and decision-makers. This paper, drawing on research studies of local government purchasing barriers and opportunities, will describe recommended strategies that are currently being tested designed to reach local decisionmakers. This paper provides a road map to guide other organizations interested in helping local governments establish their own energy efficient procurement initiatives.