Industrial firms face intense competition for capital, layered internal approval processes, and operational constraints that can make efficiency projects hard to move forward, despite large energy and cost savings. Our recent report examines how medium- and large-sized U.S. industrial firms make energy-related investment decisions, and factors that make projects more likely to advance, such as being tied to priorities like productivity, quality, maintenance, safety, and broader sustainability goals.
Join us for a webinar on what this research means for utilities and program administrators. Speakers will discuss why participation is often triggered by a project need that already exists, how incentives can help projects clear internal approval thresholds, and why program timing and administrative requirements can determine whether a project moves ahead or stalls out. The webinar will conclude with a discussion of how programs can better align with industrial firms’ real decision processes and better support implementation in practice.
Speakers
Grace Lewallen, Senior Research Analyst; Behavior, Health and Human Dimensions Program, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
Grace applies behavioral science to energy efficiency, electrification, and program design. Her research examines how people, firms, and institutions make energy-related decisions, with the goal of helping practitioners design programs, communications, and systems that better reflect real-world behavioral barriers and decision processes. Her work has covered industrial energy investment, HVAC contractor practices, EV charging in multifamily affordable housing, and ACEEE’s BEAR Hub, which helps energy programs apply behavioral science to improve participation, technology adoption, and other program outcomes.
Mark Siegal, Lead Energy Efficiency C&I Policy and Strategy Analyst, Rhode Island Energy
Mark has been developing and delivering energy efficiency and electric vehicle charging programs for more than 30 years, most recently at Rhode Island Energy as a Lead Specialist in the Energy Efficiency Strategy and Policy group.
Josh Kessler, Principal, Customer Energy Management, National Grid
Josh is a seasoned energy professional with more than 20 years of experience across the energy sector. In his current role at National Grid, he helps lead the planning and development of commercial and industrial energy efficiency incentive programs in Massachusetts, which are supported by an annual budget of over $500 million. During his time at the utility, he has played a key role in helping industrial customers achieve energy savings and reduce carbon emissions.
Moderator: Reuven Sussman, Director; Behavior, Health and Human Dimensions Program, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
Reuven leads research on energy efficiency behavior change and health programs. He directs BEAR Hub (Behavior, Energy, Action and Research), co-chairs the BECC conference (Behavior, Energy and Climate Change) and has authored academic papers and book chapters on the psychology of climate change, behavioral interventions to encourage energy efficiency, and the psychological determinants of pro-environmental behavior. Dr. Sussman has been an advisor for organizations, including the G20, that implement energy efficiency behavior change programs, and has testified before the California legislature and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. He has also served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Environmental Psychology and the Journal of Social Psychology.
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