SEP EVALUATION

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) State Energy Program (SEP) provides grants and technical assistance to the states and territories to support a wide variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy activities. The purpose of the SEP National Evaluation was to develop independent estimates of key program outcomes for Program Year (PY) 2008 and for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) period (2009-2013).

Outcomes examined as part of the SEP National Evaluation included energy savings and renewable energy generation, bill savings, cost effectiveness, job creation, and carbon emissions reductions and avoided social costs associated with climate change. The evaluation found that, for both periods studied, the SEP investment yielded substantially more in dollar savings to program participants than the amount spent by the program, created jobs, and helped avoid adverse economic health effects associated with carbon emissions.

The SEP National Evaluation results are documented in four separate publications (i.e., volumes). The Executive Summary has also been pulled out as a separate document for convenience.

Acknowledgement

We want to thank the many people who helped make this evaluation possible, including program administrators from State Energy Offices who completed surveys and provided information on programs, and funding recipients and other program stakeholders who provided program specific data. We wish to thank the members of a Network Committee composed of more than a dozen individuals with energy program experience, mostly State Energy Office directors and SEP managers, who provided invaluable input on the scope of work during the study design phase and met several more times throughout the life of the study to share their knowledge and perspectives on key issues related to the evaluation process. We also wish to thank the members of a Peer Review Panel composed of eight energy program evaluation experts who convened early in the process to provide input and advice on the scope of work and then met again at key times to review a detailed evaluation plan, provide feedback on study progress, and conduct a final review of study methods and findings.

Project Team

The evaluation was managed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and performed by a team of independent evaluators, led by DNV GL and assisted by TecMarket Works, Itron, Opinion Dynamics Corporation, NMR Group, ERS, EDRG, and Redhorse Consulting.

1. National Evaluation of the State Energy Program: An Evaluation of Select Activities Conducted Under the State Energy Program – Executive Summary
2. National Evaluation of the State Energy Program: An Evaluation of Select Activities Conducted Under the State Energy Program – Volume I: Main Report
3. National Evaluation of the State Energy Program: An Evaluation of Select Activities Conducted Under the State Energy Program – Volume II: Appendices A Through J
4. National Evaluation of the State Energy Program: An Evaluation of Select Activities Conducted Under the State Energy Program – Volume III: Appendix K
5. National Evaluation of the State Energy Program: An Evaluation of Select Activities Conducted Under the State Energy Program – Volume IV: Appendix L