Got Tip? Understanding and Affecting the Outcome of Dramatic Change

Chris Ann Dickerson, CAD Consulting
Rafael Friedmann, Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Keywords

Abstract

The day we knew would eventually come is here. A constellation of events including turmoil in the Middle East, sky-high fuel prices, and extreme weather patterns have captured public attention. Concerns about the future price and availability of fossil fuels, and about the effects of climate change are top-of-mind for individuals, businesses, and governmental bodies at every level. People want to reduce their energy use and purchase clean, renewable power. They are seeking council and prepared to implement recommendations from experts in our field. This is the moment practitioners in energy efficiency have been working to bring about for 30 years. Are we making the most of it? Have we considered and ranked our priorities, and can we explain those priorities to people in other industries? What key questions and topics we should advocate? What outrageously big idea would we like implement if money and resources were not an obstacle? Have you discussed these ideas with your colleagues? Have you taken the time to genuinely congratulate one another for our individual and collective achievements?

This paper discusses recent developments in energy efficiency and related fields, framing the issues in terms of the popular “tipping point” metaphor for describing, and affecting, change. Practitioners in these industries are encouraged to note the opportunities that may become available to us, and to think ahead about goals and strategies that will guide our industry in the next phase of development.