ACCA's Board of Directors Meets With White House, DOE, and EPA Leaders To Discuss Energy

October 14, 2016

ACCA, the Indoor Environment & Energy Efficiency Association, announced that its Board of Directors met with officials from the White House, the Department of Energy (DOE), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during their fall meeting. The meeting took place in the Cordell Hull room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., and focused on the importance of quality installations to achieve energy efficiency goals.

The Board of Directors met with Deputy Director Legislative Affairs for White House Council on Environmental Quality, Stephenne Harding, Office of Public Engagement, White House Council on Environmental Quality, Bo Machayo, DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy Brad Crowell, and Deputy Associate Administrator at EPA, Tristan Brown.

The hour long meeting covered topics including: how HVAC equipment efficiency standards are not being realized in the field due to poor installation practices and no oversight of equipment tax incentives, and ensuring that equipment incentives are achieving their goals by working with utilities and other partners on proper installation and verification programs.

"ACCA appreciated the opportunity to meet these high level officials from the White House, EPA, and DOE," said Paul T. Stalknecht, ACCA president and CEO. "Having our leading contractor members share the marketplace reality of what our industry has to offer to help reach the America's energy efficiency goals, helps ACCA get a seat at the table in future rulemakings. Our ultimate goal is to build these relationships with each Administration, so that our members, their customers, and the entire country benefit from quality installations."

"Meeting with the EPA, DOE, and White House officials was a great opportunity to explain how contractors are the key factor to reaching the energy efficiency goals the agencies have set," said Steve Lauten of president of Total Air & Heat and ACCA chairman of the board. "Any time we can sit down and openly discuss the value of proper installations and how it directly effects efficiency, then we are progress that will benefit the entire industry."

ACCA will continue to work with its partners at the DOE, EPA, White House, and on Capitol Hill to educate them about the effect proper installation of HVAC systems has on energy efficiency and how programs that reward homeowners for hiring quality contractors who perform these installations will help them reach their goals.

If you would like more information about this meeting or would like to be involved in future meetings, please contact Barton James, ACCA Senior Vice President of Government Relations at barton.james@acca.org or Todd Washam, ACCA Director of Industry Relations at todd.washam@acca.org.

 

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ACCA is a non-profit association serving more than 60,000 professionals and 4,000 businesses in the indoor environment and energy services community. Our member firms are the nation's most professional contracting businesses, serving residential and commercial customers in every state. With roots stretching back a century, ACCA was incorporated in its present form nearly 50 years ago. Today, ACCA sets the standards for quality comfort systems, provides leading-edge education for contractors and their employees, and fights for the interests of professional contractors throughout the nation. Learn more about ACCA here.