Small towns and rural countryside make up three-fourths of the land area in the United States and are home to 14% of the total US population. Rural America, defined as areas with a population of less than 50,000, is also a way of life with a proud and independent culture all its own. Just as rural and small-town America’s lifestyle is unique to its geography, so too are its energy, economic, and societal challenges.
The 2018 Rural Energy Conference, was a one-day, multitrack conference that preceded the two-day meeting of the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA). It convened leaders from industry, utilities, cooperatives, nonprofits, academia, and government to discuss how energy efficiency technologies and programs can help rural America leverage its unique characteristics for economic growth and social equity.
Our inaugural Rural Energy Conference featured plenaries and panels on the three tracks below: Energy Efficiency Programs, Energy Burden & Equity, and Economic Development. Although we did not call for abstracts, there were opportunities to shape the conference agenda through webinars that we hosted on each track.
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