The Commonwealth’s energy efficiency community gathered on October 15th and 16th for the VAEEC’s 2025 Energy Efficiency Forum. Almost 130 people attended across two days to learn, network, and celebrate industry achievements. Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, award winners, and attendees for making this event a great success! 

Day one was fully virtual in an effort to make the event more accessible and to provide a diverse array of speakers. It consisted of a keynote address and four breakout sessions: 

Keynote Address: Dr. Reuven Sussman, Director of the Behavior, Health and Human Dimensions Program at ACEEE spoke about changing consumer behaviors through the EAST framework – making the change Easy, Attractive, Social, and Timely. He also walked through case studies for successful behavioral energy efficiency programs.  

 As in previous years, we held concurrent breakout sessions.  

Energy Efficiency Messaging that Works: This panel focused on how to translate technical jargon into actionable messaging around EE. One of the panelists likened building a story to building a house and encouraged participants to explain EE “like you’re talking to your grandma.” The panelists were Charles Paullin (InsideClimateNews), Jake Barnet (ClearlyEnergy), Rad Tollet (Rad Tollet LLC), and was moderated by VAEEC Board Secretary Bill Eger (ETHOS Sustainability).  

EE on Campus – Innovation Across Virginia’s Colleges: Universities are a unique proving ground for energy efficiency and clean energy advancements. This discussion focused on projects and programs across three top Virginia schools, and how they can act as a proof of concept for their surrounding communities. The panelists were Jesse Warren (University of Virginia), Greg Farley (George Mason University), Nam Nguyen, and was moderated by VAEEC Board member McKenna Dunbar (The Grid Foundry).  

Tracking Incentives for Energy Improvements: Utility programs, appliance rebates, tax credits, weatherization – navigating the maze of EE incentives in an ever-changing world is difficult even for professionals. This panel looked at federal, state, and local tools to help homeowners, renters, business owners, and contractors take advantage of these programs. The panelists were Noah Goldmann (Rewiring America), Jessica Greene (Virginia Energy), Maya Dhavale (Fairfax County), and was moderated by Rebecca Hui (VAEEC). 

Utility Led EE in Rural Virginia: How Co-ops and Providers are Getting it Done. Tackling energy efficiency in rural Virginia can be a challenge, but the coops and local agencies in these areas have a keen sense in how to overcome those challenges. Erin Puryear, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative discussed the importance of educating coop members while Kris Sieber Dunn with Rappahannock Electric Cooperative presented on the various tools that REC has at its disposal to help members. Aubrey Myers with the Pittsylvania County Community Action Agency rounded out the panel with a focus on weatherization. The panel was moderated by Elena Vera with ICF.  

Attendees gathered in person for day two at the University of Richmond Jepson Alumni Center in Richmond. The day began with an opening presentation from Executive Director, Chelsea Harnish. Attendees were provided with updates and a brief overview of the Commonwealth’s energy efficiency industry, as well as our new, three-year Strategic Plan. 

The day also included a keynote address, a plenary panel, the tenth annual Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards ceremony, and an on-site reception. 

Keynote Address: We were honored to have SCC Commissioner, Judge Kelsey Bagot, as our keynote speaker for the in-person event. Judge Bagot talked about the important role energy efficiency plays in keeping energy affordable and managing the load from data centers. She also addressed the “meaningful change [that] can happen outside of the legislative process” by the “boots on the ground,” such as VAEEC members. Finally, Judge Bagot left us with a call to action to help the SCC bring creative, new solutions online by providing the data the Commissioners need to evaluate energy efficiency and demand response programs.  

Using Data to Drive Energy Efficiency Campaigns: Good data is behind every successful energy efficiency initiative, but gathering, assessing, and messaging can be tricky. This panel discussed how to distill technical data into usable information, turn facts into storytelling, and emphasized the importance of “starting with the end in mind”. The panelists were Emma Kirby (Potential Energy Coalition), Jacqui Bauer (Community Climate Collaborative), Sapna Gheewala Dowla (Alliance to Save Energy), and was moderated by Katie VanLangen (Local Energy Alliance Program).  

Energizing Efficiency Campaign & Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards Ceremony: Next, we had the honor of hosting our tenth Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards ceremony. Since 2016, we have recognized dozens of outstanding projects and programs across the Commonwealth, from low-income weatherization on Tangier Island to HVAC upgrades at Monticello to the lighting and heating improvements at the Virginia Beach aquarium.  

This year, we started off by highlighting the submissions to our Energizing Efficiency Campaign. From these submissions, two were chosen by the VAEEC’s Education & Events Committee to receive a 2025 Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Award for their incredible energy efficiency contributions. For information on each winning project or program, visit our 2025 Awards page.  

The event concluded with an on-site networking reception. It is always a pleasure to connect with many of our members and others in the industry face-to-face, and this was no exception.  

Thank you to our sponsors, speakers, award winners, and event attendees for making this one of our best events to date. View photos of the event below. Additional event information, including speaker biographies and sponsor features, can be found in the event program.