WASHINGTON – The Alliance to Save Energy on Tuesday announced the Efficiency Maine Trust as the winner of the 2020 Star of Energy Efficiency Award, celebrating its leadership in beneficial electrification, weatherization, and other successful programs in Maine.

“As we look to the future of energy efficiency, we know that strategies such as beneficial electrification will be critical for saving consumers money, creating a more resilient grid, and reducing carbon emissions,” said Clay Nesler, Interim President of the Alliance to Save Energy. “Efficiency Maine Trust is ahead of the game, showing us how we can bring new opportunities to the table to achieve real grid benefits. We are thrilled to recognize their work.”

As the independent administrator of Maine’s efficiency programs for the past decade, the Trust has supported tens of thousands of efficiency projects annually across the state that have saved consumers and businesses $1.5 billion to $2 billion in lifetime energy costs. Its work led Maine to become the first state in the country to bring to scale beneficial electrification of heating in buildings. Those robust beneficial electrification strategies have helped the state advance its aggressive climate goals while lowering monthly heating bills. The Trust also has focused on helping low-income households overcome high energy burdens through enhanced incentives and significantly extended program benefits to hard-to-reach sectors.

“We know we need beneficial electrification at a massive scale throughout the U.S. in the next 10 to 20 years,” said Michael Stoddard, Executive Director of the Efficiency Maine Trust. “The sustained, rapid growth in Maine’s heat pump sales is powerful evidence that the right mix of incentives and marketing can play a pivotal role in achieving that transition, while creating jobs and reducing carbon emissions. This award is a validation of the strategic choices Maine has made on electrification and the tireless work of hundreds of small businesses that market and install heat pumps and other efficient technologies in our state. On their behalf, we are deeply honored to receive this award and hope it will lead to many more discussions about how these programs can be scaled up across the country.”

The Alliance will be celebrating the Trust’s award during a virtual reception in early December.

About the Alliance to Save Energy

Founded in 1977, the Alliance to Save Energy is a nonprofit, bipartisan alliance of business, government, environmental and consumer leaders working to expand the economy while using less energy. Our mission is to promote energy productivity worldwide – including through energy efficiency – to achieve a stronger economy, a cleaner environment and greater energy security, affordability and reliability.