Arlington, VA
To achieve decarbonization and other federal goals, it is increasingly critical for agencies to consider the value of Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESCs) as a tool for upgrading energy and water infrastructure and installing on-site carbon pollution-free projects, with little to no upfront costs. This two-day workshop will help attendees understand the fundamental elements of a UESC and how these limited-source performance contracts can be used to maximize investment into energy and water conservation measures. FEMP and experts from DOE's national labs will present best practices aimed at assisting agency staff, utilities, and ESCOs in the successful development of UESCs, including topics such as acquisition planning, contractor selection, site assessments, proposal review, and performance assurance. This is a follow-on comprehensive training immediately following FUPWG. You must register for each day individually to receive credit.
2-day Utility Energy Service Contract Training - Day 1
2-day Utility Energy Service Contract Training - Day 2
Instructors
Tracy Niro, Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy Read Bio
Tracy Niro is the Utility Program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). Tracy is a recognized expert in energy policy, federal utility service contracting, and utility energy service contracts. She also oversees electric and natural gas utility acquisitions for DOE sites nationwide and serves as the chair of the Federal Utility Partnership Working Group. Tracy was a 2009 Presidential Management Fellow, has completed detail assignments to the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the International Energy Agency, and was awarded a Fulbright Professional Scholarship to conduct energy research in Australia. Tracy began her career as a staff accountant for an investor-owned utility and has 20 years of experience in the energy industry including past experience leading the DOE FEMP Power Purchase Agreement Program and serving as coordinator for floating offshore wind regulation in Hawaii at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, earned her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law.
Chandra Shah, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, MBA, CEM, Senior Project Leader, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Read Bio
Chandra Shah is a senior project leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). She has been supporting the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) since 1998--helping agencies purchase off-site renewable energy, implement distributed energy projects, and achieve energy/water goals through utility energy service contracts (UESC) and other utility partnerships. Chandra is a co-author of the ESPC ESA Toolkit and other ESPC ESA templates. She is a CEM and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Washington and a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan.
Jeff Gingrich, Project Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Read Bio
Jeff Gingrich manages program and training development for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) Utility Team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He is an advisor in supporting development of utility energy service contract (UESC) projects and develops resources and curriculum for the internationally accredited UESC training courses for federal agencies and regulated utilities. In addition, Jeff supports a portfolio of projects at NREL that include energy savings performance contracts and Integrated Urban Services in the ASEAN region.
John Myhre, MBA, Project Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Read Bio
John works for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), providing training, technical analysis, and support for the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) in the areas of performance contracting and distributed energy procurement. Prior to joining NREL, John served as a construction manager and public works operations manager in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps and as a mechanical engineer for the General Services Administration's Region 9 in San Francisco.
Matt Joyner, Project Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Read Bio
Matt works as a project manager in NREL's Project Development and Finance Group within the Accelerated Deployment and Decision Support Center. His work is primarily focused on supporting the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) in performance contracting and distributed energy procurement. Prior to joining NREL, Matt was an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked as a construction project manager with NORESCO. He has experience overseeing and managing projects that include building management system and HVAC control upgrades, LED lighting retrofits, boiler and chiller installations, and combined heat and power plant build outs.
Russ Dominy, ESPC Instructor, BGS-LLC Read Bio
Russ Dominy is an experienced acquisition professional having served as the former acquisition director/chief of contracts office at NAVFAC Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center. Russ was the department head responsible for overall management of 50 employees, including 40 contracting personnel. Russ also has held positions as the supervisory contracting officer, procurement contracting officer (PCO), administrative contracting officer, contract specialist, acquisition manager, and contracting officer representative. Russ served as the PCO and source selection authority for all large contract actions including over $1B in ESPC contracts. Russ was responsible for Command Government Commercial purchase card consisting of more than $2 million in transactions annually.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, attendees will be able to:
- Describe the basis of the UESC authority as a tool for achieving energy and cost savings at Federal facilities;
- Identify unique characteristics of UESC projects, including allowable energy conservation measures, performance assurance/measurement and verification, and funding/financing considerations;
- Describe common UESC contracting options and the process for leveraging GSA areawide contracts to streamline the contracting process;
- Develop an acquisition plan and scope of work that sets up a UESC for success and maximizes potential to meet energy, water, and decarbonization goals;
- Explain how and why agencies may contract with a serving utility without full and open competition, and what needs to be documented in the contract file; and
- Describe key components of the project development process, including best practices for conducting preliminary assessments and detailed investment-grade audits.
