Hello public agencies and partners!
| | |
As summer fades in the rearview mirror, public agencies are shifting into high gear with new budgets, a new school year, and the return of energy and activity to campuses across Texas.
This month, there is a lot happening for public agencies, and SPEER is here to help you stay informed and prepared.
Our Policy Manager, Noah Oaks, has compiled a list of legislative priorities and will continue to keep you informed on policy developments. You can view the list here.
Looking to strengthen your team's knowledge? Reach out to Randy Plumlee for energy code training opportunities for your inspection staff.
To further support professional development and ongoing learning, be sure to check out our Powering Texas Energy Strategies: Summer Workshop Series, including today's event: Conservation in Practice: Energy & Water Strategies for Texas. Head to SPEER's Event Calendar to learn more and register!
| | |
In this edition:
- Powering Texas Energy Strategies: Summer Workshop Series
- Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming CELC Events
- Texas Energy Advocates – University Program (TEA-UP)
- Spotlight on Coalition Stakeholders: Events & Programs
- Resources to Accelerate Your Air Quality & Energy Improvements
- Career Moves: Hot Opportunities and Job Openings You Should Know
| | *Interested in becoming a CELC member? | |
Powering Texas Energy Strategies: Summer Workshop Series
| | |
SPEER, in collaboration with the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG), is hosting a summer workshop series designed to support Central Texas leaders and professionals working in water and energy conservation.
Made possible through funding from the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), the three part series provides valuable information on conservation best practices, available funding opportunities, and resources that can help communities improve their energy and water management strategies.
These workshops are ideal for local government staff, elected officials, facility and operations teams, sustainability professionals, planners, water and infrastructure experts, emergency management personnel, community leaders, and anyone interested in advancing conservation efforts across Central Texas.
Head over to our event calendar to save your spot!
| | Powering the Transition: Building Texas' Clean Energy Workforce | | |
September 30 @ 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
CleanTX and SPEER are convening a joint luncheon and workshop in Dallas on the workforce behind the energy transition. As electrification, demand response, renewable energy development, and data center growth accelerate across Texas, the constraint increasingly isn’t technology or capital, it’s people.
This session brings together educators, contractors, and industry to talk candidly about how we’re building the talent pipeline: the training and credentialing programs preparing workers today, the apprenticeship and labor standards attached to federally supported projects, and the gaps that still need closing. We’re keeping the format conversational and the panel practical, with plenty of room for audience discussion.
Sponsored by: Bradley
Learn more and register here.
| | Mark Your Calendar: Energy Efficiency Day 2026 | | |
Add it to your calendar! Energy Efficiency Day 2026 is on October 7th this year.
Energy efficiency helps us save money, cut pollution, and create jobs.
It's a win-win-win. How will you celebrate Energy Efficiency Day this year?
Learn more!
| | Missed It? Smart Campus, Smart Communities: Energy & Water Workshop | | |
SPEER partnered with the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) for a half-day workshop focused on strategies for demand-response, water management, and energy management.
The event also included a sustainability tour of The University of Texas at San Antonio’s LEED-certified San Pedro Building 1 (SP1) led by Anna Morton Rivera, Executive Director of Energy & Sustainability.
Check out a recording of the event here. Thank you so much to the University of Texas San Antonio for hosting!
| | American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Conference | | |
ASES is coming to Austin on October 19-21, 2026. Join SPEER and other industry and renewable energy professionals as well as students and advocates from across the country in Texas, where we have long been a leader in solar innovation and adoption.
Session topics include: How Datacenters are Reshaping Energy Demand, Strengthening the Grid with Solar, and Building Solutions, Grid Resilience, and Emerging Technologies. See the full agenda here.
Students can get 70% off registration, and staff 50% off by volunteering. Email cities@eepartnership.org for the code.
| |
Spotlight on Coaltion Stakeholders: Events and Programs
| | |
New Stakeholder Spotlight
Please join us in welcoming two new stakeholders to CELC:
Curious about the coalition? Head here to learn more and see a list of current stakeholders!
| |
|
NCTCOG Webinar: Sustainable Procurement for Local Governments
August 18 @ 10:00 - 11:30 am
Join the North Central Texas Council of Governments for an upcoming webinar on Sustainable Procurement for Local Governments.
Speakers will provide an overview of sustainable procurement and highlight examples of successful sustainable purchasing programs at various stages of development. Participants will hear from speakers with SPEER, City of Austin, and Alameda County on their experiences with sustainable purchasing. Following presentations, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussions with speakers.
Local governments interested in learning more about sustainable procurement and green purchasing, and how they can develop similar policies, are invited to attend!
Register here.
| | Resources to Accelerate Your Air Quality & Energy Improvements | | Organization: State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) | | |
SECO’s administration of the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Program assists eligible Community Centers to complete energy-related, cost-reduction retrofit projects.
Focus: Community Centers
Open Date: Now through December 18, 2026 at 2 p.m. CT
Head here for more information.
| | City of Dallas Extreme Heat Intervention Guidebook | | |
The Extreme Heat Intervention Guidebook presents solutions which are supported by existing literature, best practices, and local data and which are suitable for the humid subtropical climate of Dallas. It offers a suite of approaches, including both material and non-material interventions, that City staff and partners can draw on to advance heat resilience in Dallas. This is not a prescriptive implementation plan, but a menu of potential solutions to inspire and inform ongoing heat action.
Head here for more information.
| |
Career Moves:
Hot Opportunities and Job Openings You Should Know
| | |
Jobs
Conferences
-
Save the Date: TRACS Summit (March 1-2, 2027)
| | | | |
