Detroit, Michigan—Six distinguished leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors today received the Champions of Energy Efficiency in Industry Award from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
The awards, presented at the biennial Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, recognize accomplishment in the industrial efficiency sector. An ACEEE Board of Directors’ committee selected the winners, nominated by peers, for their impact, innovation, and leadership in reducing energy waste and advancing sustainability.
“The pool of nominees for this year’s awards was truly exceptional,” said Mitchell Simpson, chair of the awards committee and director of the Arkansas Energy Office. “Each candidate has a proven track record of results driving energy efficiency in the industrial sector. The committee is honored to recognize this year’s winners and celebrate their significant contributions to energy efficiency in industry!”
The 2023 winners in this year’s six categories are:
William Allemon, Global Energy Best Practices Leader at Constellium (Lifetime Achievement): For remarkable contributions to energy efficiency throughout his distinguished 36-year career, implementing numerous energy efficiency improvements across the automotive, mining, and pharmaceutical sectors.
Kitt Butler, Business Development Director at Advanced Energy (Industrial Leadership): For significant contributions to energy efficiency and energy management initiatives, including playing a crucial role in the motors and drives sector, which accounts for a substantial portion of global electricity consumption.
Virginia Lew, Manager of the Energy Research and Development Division at the California Energy Commission (Research and Development): For innovative leadership achieving efficiency in existing buildings, testing low global warming potential refrigerants, and promoting demand flexibility, as well as developing programs for industrial decarbonization, carbon removal, and lower-emissions food production.
Alli Gold Roberts, Senior Director of State Policy at Ceres (Energy Policy): For outstanding leadership mobilizing companies and investors across nearly 20 states to champion policies that promote climate action, clean energy, energy efficiency, decarbonized buildings, and electric vehicles.
Jessica Bailey, President and CEO of Nuveen Green Capital, and Genevieve Sherman, Head of Sustainability and Policy at Nuveen Green Capital (Implementation and Deployment): For significant contributions to energy efficiency finance, playing a crucial role in scaling the implementation of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) programs and establishing C-PACE as a mainstream financing tool for clean energy upgrades in commercial real estate and sustainable new construction.
Simran Kohli, Director of Business Development and Strategy at Greenlite (Young Professional): For designing and managing utility efficiency programs across the country, with a particular focus on low-income households, distributing more than 50 million energy-saving products and services.
This year’s Champions join a select group of industrial efficiency leaders recognized by ACEEE at the biennial Industry Summer Study conferences for their extraordinary contributions and leadership.
