President’s
Message
At our recent 99th Annual Conference
& Trade Show in Orlando, IDEA celebrated the beginning of our 100th
year in operation. Reaching the 100th anniversary itself in 2009 will be a significant achievement, as few organizations can claim to be
in operation for more than a century. We
are proud of our longevity and are pleased
to recognize those who came before us in
continuous service to the district energy
industry.
But just reaching the century mark is not
enough. We want to use this occasion to also
bring visibility to the importance of efficient
and reliable energy infrastructure in our
communities. At this juncture, we want to
look ahead at the valuable near-term contributions that a robust district energy industry
can deliver in terms of fuel conservation
and emissions reductions in response to climate change. IDEA has succeeded largely
by remaining true to the essential objectives
articulated by the founders of the original
National District Heating Association back in
1909, namely informing, connecting and
advancing the industry.
the interest of safe and economic operation
of district energy systems, we are creating
new tools such as the IDEA District Cooling
Best Practice Guide to assist members with
designing, building and operating efficient,
reliable systems. Additionally, the newly
formed IDEA Google TMGroups forums are
intended to facilitate real-time information
exchange among members on more specific
operational and technical matters.
IDEA has always been very effective at
connecting people. Our conferences and
trade shows connect needs with resources,
connect clients with consultants, and connect suppliers with new trade outlets and
partnerships. IDEA connects members in
learning about new approaches, new customers and new technologies to connect
buildings and communities.
Year after year, attendees report that
the quality of IDEA events and the multiple
networking opportunities provide some of
D.C., and through research and collaboration
with like-minded groups such as the International Energy Agency, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and the U.S. Department
of Energy. Whether partnering with the EPA
to recognize IDEA members as EPA Combined
Heat and Power Energy Star® winners or
collaborating with IEA on the USA’s CHP
Scorecard, IDEA is actively working to leverage member resources to enhance the
image and recognition of the industry. IDEA
recently retained Van Ness Feldman to support our climate change advocacy efforts in
Washington, D.C., to advance the interests
of industry participants.
Informing, Connecting,
Advancing
IDEA will continue to inform members
on technical and business issues through
many vehicles – our annual conferences,
workshops, Web site and magazine (both
print and electronic). IDEA must work even
harder to inform policy makers, developers,
prospective customers, planners and government leaders on the many features and
benefits of district energy systems. And, in
the highest quality business connections
they make each year. One of our highest
priorities in the coming year will be to help
policy makers understand the connection
between energy efficiency and near-term
carbon emissions reductions so that district
energy/CHP is recognized as a viable, immediate solution to climate change on a community scale.
IDEA continues to advance district
energy technologies by promoting the best
business practices among our members. We
work at advancing the visibility and status of
the industry through advocacy in Washington,
Climate Change and
District Energy
At the Orlando conference, the opening
plenary panel focused on “Carbon Emissions,
Climate Change and Congress – What Does
It All Mean for District Energy?” Panelists
provided an update on the political climate
on Capitol Hill, recent carbon emission legislation details, analysis of rising capital costs, a
view of European carbon emissions experience and a broader view of the global energy
and environmental challenges, including the
potential for expansion of combined heat
and power.
While some in the audience remain
skeptical on human causes of climate
change, the fundamental premise is that
the scientific questions on atmospheric carbon dioxide buildup have given way to the
political science of addressing greenhouse
gas reductions. In the U.S., it is now more
of a question of when carbon emissions
will be regulated rather than if legislation
constraining greenhouse gas emissions will
be implemented.
In this context, it is imperative that
IDEA members are engaged in the policy
dialogue on carbon trading legislation. It is
critically important that policy makers recognize the potential for near-term emissions
reductions that district energy/CHP can
deliver and how many IDEA members have
already taken early action to improve efficiency and reduce carbon footprints. New
rules or new compliance targets should not
impair efficiency investments.
It is unlikely IDEA will be able to fully
influence legislation to our specific benefit,
but it is important that we work to educate
and inform congressional staff on the impact
of carbon limitations policy on their con-
