Denver, Colorado—From the research world to the private sector, five distinguished experts received the Champions of Energy Efficiency Awards last night from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The awards, presented at ACEEE’s Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, recognize leadership and accomplishment in the industrial energy efficiency field. Winners are selected based on demonstrated excellence in industrial leadership, lifetime achievement, research and development, implementation and deployment, or energy policy. The winners for 2017 are:

• Marilyn Brown, Georgia Institute of Technology, for her decades of research and leadership in industrial energy efficiency. She conducted research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, wrote trend-setting publications, co-founded the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, and created and led the Climate and Energy Policy Laboratory.
• Dr. Steve Fawkes, EnergyPro Ltd., for his career-long commitment to industrial energy efficiency in the United States and throughout the world. In addition to writing more than 300 articles about energy efficiency and finance, he has advised start-ups, multinationals, and governments in Europe and Asia.
• Michael R. Muller, Rutgers University, for a lifetime of leadership in developing training programs for students in industrial energy efficiency. He established the Center for Advanced Energy Systems and has been a central figure in the US Department of Energy Industrial Assessment Center program.
• John L. Nicol, Leidos, for 40 years of helping companies implement industrial energy efficiency programs. He has been instrumental in launching statewide energy efficiency programs and developing continuous improvement practices such as ISO 50001.
• Lynn Price, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, for her lifetime of leadership in industrial energy efficiency and policy initiatives. She has been a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and was lead author of the chapters that addressed how industrial energy efficiency can combat climate change.

The winners were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee of ACEEE’s board of directors from an impressive group of 50 nominations. Selection criteria were based on each nominee’s impact, innovation, and leadership.

The Industry Summer Study, where the awards were presented, is the premier conference for addressing industrial energy efficiency. It attracts leading academics, industry professionals, government representatives, researchers, and policymakers.

The 2017 Champions join a select group of energy efficiency leaders who have been recognized for their extraordinary contributions and leadership by ACEEE at the annual Summer Study conferences. The Champion of Energy Efficiency award began with the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings (held in even years) and was extended to the Industry Summer Study beginning in 2005.