New SPEER Video Series: "Board Buzz" ft. Jasmine King-Bush

In this newsletter:

New Video Series: SPEER "Board Buzz"
SPEER's 2025 Industry + Policy Workshop
NREL Residential Contractor Survey
Aurora Energy Report: Impact of Demand Side Management in ERCOT
New SPEER member!
Upcoming Events & Webinars
Noteworthy Announcements
What We're Reading

New SPEER Video Series: "Board Buzz" ft. Jasmine King-Bush

Just released: the first edition of SPEER's "Board Buzz" video series, featuring 2025 Board President Jasmine King-Bush.

Join her and SPEER CEO Todd McAlister as they chat about energy efficiency, future plans for SPEER, favorite movies, and a bit of everything in between.

Head over to our YouTube channel to see even more SPEER video content!

Empower Efficiency: Sponsor SPEER's 2025 Industry + Policy Workshop

Registration is open – save your spot now and join us at SPEER’s 2025 Industry + Policy Workshop, September 18-19 at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center in Austin.

This conference brings together leaders, innovators, and policymakers from the south-central region and across the country to share insights on the latest technologies, strategies, and incentives that are shaping the future of energy efficiency and policy.

Whether you're looking to improve your organization’s sustainability performance, stay up to date on federal and state initiatives, or connect with like-minded professionals, this is the place to be.

Join fellow industry leaders as we hear from experts sharing their thoughts on:

Ways demand response can help bridge the gap between energy efficiency and grid sustainability
The future of the Texas energy grid and beyond
Beyond building codes: Building Performance Standards
The growing role of geothermal
Innovative action that is driving change across the country

Full agenda coming soon!

2024 Recap:

If you need a refresher on last year's fantastic event, check out our video recap from the 2024 Industry + Policy Workshop. While last year was a huge success, we are excited to set the bar even higher this year in a bigger venue.

Sponsorship opportunities:

Huge shout out to Mitsubishi Electric, WaterFurnace, Daikin, and CleanTX for joining us as sponsors!

Interested in joining these folks? Head over to our event page to browse sponsorship opportunities and find the best fit for your organization. Your sponsorships are incredibly important to us and help continue the sustaining efforts of our organization as we educate and support energy efficiency across the Texas and Oklahoma region. With your support, we are able to further our mission and initiatives!

Early bird pricing ends June 30th. Take advantage of our discounted hotel block and register today!

We Need Your Input: NREL Residential Contractor Survey

Please help support a new data collection effort by completing this survey!

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is conducting a national survey of residential trade allies to understand how they view hiring, training, and workforce development opportunities. SPEER is helping support these efforts with the goal of better understanding ways that federal and state programs can support companies and their workforce through training, education, and other resources.

The survey is intended for contractors involved in improving the energy performance of residential buildings, including single family, manufactured housing, and multi-family dwellings. This can include business owners, individual workers, managers, hiring managers, and other personnel involved with or receiving hiring and training that perform work in the following skilled labor professions:

HVAC/R mechanics, installers, or technicians
Electricians
Insulation workers (floor, ceiling, and walls)
Plumbers
Building performance specialists
Siding installers
Window installers
Weatherization technicians
Energy auditors, HERS raters and energy consultants
Residential remodelers
New home construction and building constructions

If you or someone you know falls into one of the categories above, we would appreciate it if you could complete the survey or share it within your network. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete, and can be found here.

We appreciate your support, thank you!

Aurora Energy Research: Impact of Demand Side Management in ERCOT

A new report from Aurora Energy Research finds that Texas can meet its rapidly growing electricity demand while lowering costs and improving grid reliability through expanded energy efficiency and Demand Response programs. Commissioned by the Texas Association of Business in partnership with SPEER, the study offers insights on different approaches to demand side management to strengthen the ERCOT grid amid unprecedented demand growth.

Aurora’s analysis shows that widespread adoption of heat pumps could lower consumer electricity prices by up to 45%, with the average household saving $424 annually by switching from electric resistance heating. Demand response programs also offer significant savings: on average, they may reduce average electricity prices by $3 per megawatt-hour, translating to annual savings of up to $1.9 million for an industrial consumer and $225 for a residential user.

SPEER CEO Todd McAlister commented on the report: “Heat pumps and their technology can play such a pivotal role in advancing critically needed grid reliability efforts. Electric resistance heating (strip heat) has played a major factor in Texas moving to both a winter and summer peak on the grid. Not only would heat pump adoption in multi-family new builds help with that winter peak, but it would add much needed gigawatts to a grid that could be struggling to keep up in the coming years. Heat pumps are a force multiplier for the Texas grid and the Texas economy.”

New SPEER Member!

SPEER is excited to welcome our newest member, the City of DeSoto!

We are thrilled to have them on board as we continue our mission to advance energy efficiency in Texas and Oklahoma. Learn more about SPEER membership here.

Upcoming Events & Webinars

CELC Virtual Coffee Hour: Energizing Connections

Join SPEER’s Senior Manager of Government and Community Engagement as she leads our monthly coffee hour. These open discussions include individuals from local governments and the higher education community focused on sharing insights and exploring ways to expand exciting energy efficiency in our communities.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and contribute to the shared goal of creating sustainable and energy-efficient environments. Learn more on our event page and see our current CELC members.

Interested in brewing ideas together over a virtual cup of coffee? Join CELC at this link – then we will send you the meeting invite series. If you can’t make it this time, no worries – there’s always next month!

When: June 11 @ 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Webinar: A2L Refrigerants & the 2025 HVAC Transition - What Building Officials Need to Know

New Refrigerants, New Rules — Are You Ready?

Join us for a free, one-hour webinar designed specifically for building officials, inspectors, and code enforcement professionals preparing for the 2025 transition to A2 and A2L refrigerants in residential and commercial HVAC systems.

With the EPA phasing down high-GWP refrigerants like R-410A starting January 1, 2025, and manufacturers rolling out equipment charged with mildly flammable A2L refrigerants like R-32 and R-454B, it’s critical to understand what this means for plan review, installation inspections, and code compliance.

What You’ll Learn:

Why the refrigerant transition is happening – and what the AIM Act requires
How A2L refrigerants differ from A1’s (like R-410A) in safety, performance, and risk
Code changes, charge limits, and system placement requirements under the IMC and IRC
What to look for during inspections: equipment labeling, ventilation, leak detection, and training

When: June 24 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am

Webinar: Energy Efficiency Made Easy - SECO Resources for Texas

Looking to boost energy efficiency while saving money for your public facility? Join us for an informative and engaging webinar featuring the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO), where you’ll discover valuable funding opportunities and expert resources designed to support energy-smart decisions in Texas communities.

This session will take a deep dive into SECO’s flagship Texas LoanSTAR (Saving Taxes and Resources) Revolving Loan Program, which offers financing for energy-related retrofit projects across public school districts, colleges, universities, and local governments. You’ll learn how to access this funding and make meaningful upgrades to your facilities.

Whether you’re a city official, school administrator, or facilities manager, this webinar will equip you with the tools and contacts to take the next step in your energy efficiency journey. This webinar is eligible for ICC Continuing Education Units (CEUs).

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Understand the Texas LoanSTAR Revolving Loan Program and its funding opportunities for public entities.
Identify SECO’s available technical assistance and energy education resources.
Explore upcoming SECO programs that support energy efficiency and cost savings across Texas.

When: June 26 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Noteworthy

Texas Cleantech Collisions

Join our members and friends at MTN Consulting, NCTCOG and other industry allies for an in-person Texas Cleantech Collisions discussion. This event will focus on new opportunities for clean energy adoption for homes, buildings, vehicles and more, while improving air quality and reducing emissions. Learn more about Texas Cleantech Collisions and their June 12th event at the University of Texas at Dallas here.

Panelists:

John lovenburg, BNSF Railway

Susan Alvarez, NCTCOG

Geoff Barker, Wahu Mobility

Umair Surani (Moderator)

Opportunity alert: The Energy Innovator Fellowship Program

The Energy Innovator Fellowship (EIF) program (via the U.S. Department of Energy and ORISE) funds recent graduates and early career energy professionals to support critical energy organizations in advancing solutions that will help modernize the power system, improve energy infrastructure for transportation and industry, and make the U.S. power system more reliable, affordable, and resilient. The goal of the program is to increase access to energy career opportunities across the country.

The application period is open until June 6th. Learn more and apply here.

Need to Catch Up?

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