The Northeast states are ramping up efficiency investments at an unprecedented rate. And as efficiency is at last being seen as a cost-effective, tried-and-true way to help meet demand, it becomes increasingly important for states and efficiency program administrators to speak the same language and count savings in the same way.

To that end, NEEP hosts the Regional Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Forum, which recently convened a record crowd in Albany for its 2011 Annual Public Meeting. Representatives of state energy offices, public utility commissions program administrators and consultants gathered to learn about shared studies that the Forum has undertaken and engage in lively dialogues on two hot topics- the future of cost effectiveness testing and integrating energy efficiency into regional system planning.

Several speakers talked about why it makes financial and logistic sense to sponsor joint evaluation studies. The Forum's work is vital to helping demonstrate the real impact of efficiency, and helping planners and administrators shape the programs of the future.

"Credible energy efficiency programs combined with credible EM&V programs provide the basis to truly make energy efficiency the fundamental foundation of meeting our energy needs and moving away from the continuing need for growth in power plants, pollution and transmission line upgrades," said Garry Brown, Chairman of the New York Public Service Commission in his welcoming remarks.

To date, the Forum has completed numerous projects, including a mix of protocol/guideline development and research and evaluation projects. Materials from all completed Forum projects are available on the Forum's Products and Guidelines webpage.

Looking forward, a major Forum project is the development and implementation of the Regional Energy Efficiency Database (REED), which states will use to report energy efficiency program impacts. For more information about this year's Annual Public Meeting, including the presentations, please see the Forum's 2011 Annual Public Meeting webpage.