MEEA is currently selecting up to five Midwest communities to receive free technical assistance with their LED street lighting plans.

Mayor John Cranley declared October 5, 2017 "Energy Efficiency Day" in the City of Cincinnati. 

"Over the last 10 years the City of Cincinnati has implemented energy efficiency improvements that save taxpayers more than $3 million per year," the mayor's proclamation reads. 

 "Citizens are urged to join us in supporting our clean energy goals and moving toward more energy efficiency now and in the future."

Governor Rick Snyder issued a proclamation declaring October 5, 2017 "Energy Efficiency Day" in the State of Michigan. 

"Reliable, affordable energy is vital to our economic prosperity and energy waste reduction is the most productive and cost-effective way to meet our energy needs," the proclamation says. 

"Smarter energy use reduces the amount of electricity we need to power our lives, which helps avoid power plant emissions that can harm our health, pollute our air, and warm our climate."

Ohio Governor John Kasich has declared October 2017 "Energy Efficiency Month." 

The proclamation points out that "energy efficiency measures reduce energy use and costs for Ohio businesses, communities and families" and provide benefits to "low-income and older Ohioans." 

By Frank Jossi, Midwest Energy News

Minnesota is the only Midwest state ranked in the top 10 of the annual American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

The state’s ninth place standing, announced this week, topped Michigan and Illinois (tied for 11th); Iowa (19th); Wisconsin (24th); Ohio (31st) and Indiana (40th). South Dakota and North Dakota rounded out the bottom.

CLEVELAND -- When you read the recent headlines about the nearly 600,000 people working in clean-energy jobs across the Midwest, you probably pictured solar panels and wind turbines.

But the vast majority of those jobs - including more than 81,000 jobs in Ohio alone - are in energy efficiency, forming a largely invisible but powerful workforce that helps keep energy costs low and productivity high.

Jamie Peters is the Director of Client Solutions at EnergySavvy, a software company that aims to transform the way utilities interact with and serve their customers. Peters brings seven years of energy efficiency program experience to EnergySavvy, including launching Illinois’ first statewide Home Performance with Energy Star program, managing large-scale prescriptive and direct install utility programs, and developing tools and training for residential contractors. 

Darlene Jackson is a program associate on the Residential team at the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA). In this role, she provides support in the coordination and implementation of HVAC SAVE and Illinois Home Performance. Before MEEA, she worked as a Policy Analyst for Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through the graduate public service internship program. 

Graduates of the building operator certification program in Michigan have proven to save an average of $10,800 annually on electric bills of the buildings where they implement changes, according to a news release from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, making trained public building operators valuable partners in meeting Michigan’s new aggressive energy waste reduction goals.

More than 1,000 U.S. companies, including some of the nation's largest manufacturers, are urging Congress to preserve the 25-year-old Energy Star program to promote efficiency in home and business products.

President Donald Trump's proposed budget would eliminate funding for Energy Star, which encourages efficiency in major appliances, office equipment, lighting and home electronics.