May – June 2000 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

DOE/EE-0219

Appalachian Town

Reinvents Itself

View from DC – Special

Project Awards

Continued on page 11

$9.4 Million Pledged

for Schools

Earth Day Radio Tour

Rebuild in April Solar Schools Report

Web Site Gets Makeover

Maryland Town

Forges Energy

Efficiency Legacy

Fred Sissine,mayor of

the City of Mount

Rainier,MD and leader of

its Rebuild America

partnership,is seeing the

fruits of his labor after years

of hard work to bring about

economic revitalization and sustainable development

for his City.

Mount Rainier,which is located near Washington,

DC,has initiated nine measures to reduce

greenhouse gas emissions during the past 10 years.

Six of these measures have focused on energy

efficiency,while others include alternative fuel

projects and tree planting to achieve carbon

sequestration.

Mount Rainier is hampered by the neglect and

decay common to many older,“main street”U.S.

communities that have lost businesses to suburbanstyle shopping malls. Challenges include rising

crime,declining property values,shrinking tax

revenues,and escalating operating costs for police

and code enforcement.

A Bootstrap Effort

Sissine presided over a “bootstrap”effort to

revitalize the city with a special focus on its main

street. These efforts included creation of a national

Mayor Fred Sissine

The Town of Grundy,VA has

said “no more”to its legacy of

flooding and is moving its

downtown to higher ground.

Located near the Kentucky border in

the heart of what was once

Appalachian coal country,the town

has been hit hard by the major

floods of 1937,1957,1977 and

1993. The flood of 1977 was

particularly menacing,with flood

waters on Main Street rising as high

as 5 feet. Merchants and retailers

began to throw in the towel and

vacate the shops lining Main Street.

But Grundy is the county seat and

the heart of Buchanan County,and

for more than 20 years its town

leaders have been hammering out a

plan to save it. Through an intensive

local,state and federal agency

collaboration,the wheels are in

motion to build a new downtown

for Grundy – one that incorporates

energy-efficient and sustainable

design practices.

The town has formed a Rebuild

Rendering depicts view from bridge linking “old” Grundy to its new downtown. 

Continued on page 10

5

6-7

3

4

2

2

Visit Our Website:

www.doe.eren.gov/

buildings/rebuild
U.S. Department of Energy

DOE Announces $9.4 Million 

to Improve Nation’s Schools

Surrounded by elementary school pupils,their parents and teachers,the

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Robert Gee announced May 11 that the

U.S.Department of Energy (DOE) and state governments around the nation

will pool their resources to provide $9.4 million to lower energy costs and

upgrade the energy efficiency of America's classrooms. DOE is earmarking

$4.7 million in federal funds for the EnergySmart School initiative,part of 

the Rebuild America program,which will be matched by an equal sum from

the states.

"We can save $1.5 billion in America's schools by using energy efficiency

as a tool for improving learning conditions for our kids," said Assistant

Secretary Gee.

DOE officials made the announcement during a visit to the San Diego

Unified School District's Euclid Elementary School. Joined by Superintendent

of Schools Dr.Alan Bersin,the Assistant Secretary awarded students,

teachers and administrators with the ENERGY STAR® Buildings Label for the

school's exceptional energy performance.

The San Diego Unified School District has been at the forefront of the

national movement to improve student achievement by providing students

and teachers with supportive classroom learning environments. A recent

$216,000 investment to improve Euclid Elementary School has already

caused the school's electric bills to drop by 40 percent and energy

consumption to fall 28 percent. Although the size of the elementary school

has increased and utility rates have risen,the school has trimmed its utility

bill by $20,000 each year.

The investment is part of a recent capital project that will save the United

School District $5.5 million in annual utility and maintenance costs. San

Diego voters also recently overwhelmingly approved a $1.5

billion program to repair and renovate 167 schools and build 14

schools in the school district — the largest bond measure in the

city's history.

From left: San Diego School Board Member Ron Ottinger; San Diego Energy Office

Executive Director Kurt Kammerer; DOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Robert Gee;

Euclid Elementary School Principal Mitzi Merino; San Diego City Schools Chief

Administrative Officer Henry Hurley; and San Diego School Board President Ed Lopez.

2

In San Diego... View from DC

By Mark Bailey

The U.S.Department of Energy (DOE) plans to

issue $17 million in State Energy Program (SEP)

Special Projects Awards in July. Rebuild America

programs in 23 states and American Samoa

collectively will receive some $3.3 million,roughly

20 percent,of this amount. The Special Projects

Awards provide funding for select projects and are

in addition to the annual SEP awards granted to each

state energy office annually. These awards provide

an important boost to Rebuild America’s efforts to

improve communities across the nation through

energy efficiency. The awards are issued by DOE’s

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Here is a snapshot of what three states plan:

• A first-time Special Projects Award recipient,

Utah is proceeding with two Rebuild America

projects. The first planned is intended to put Utah’s

State Buildings Energy Efficiency Program on a fast

track to advance partnership development by

accessing a critical land conservation fund. The

second project will support efforts by the Western

Regional Coalition partnership,comprised of 18

state energy offices,to develop regional tools in

addition to performance contracting to facilitate

project financing.

• Florida is seeking to establish Rebuild America

partnerships through Operation:Open for

Business,an initiative that seeks to reduce disaster

losses and increase energy savings for business

owners in designated Project Impact communities

throughout the state.

• The Minnesota Department of Commerce will

take the lead role in establishing Rebuild

Minnesota over the next two years and plans to

hire a Rebuild America program representative to

help create partnerships. The Department plans to

take a gateway approach to meeting communities’

energy resource and conservation needs.

The following received Special Projects Awards

for fiscal year 2000: CA,CT,FL,ID,IA,MA,MN,MS,

MO,NE,NV,NH,NM,NY,OH,OR,SC,TN,TX,UT,VA,

WA,WY, and American Samoa.

Mark Bailey is national program manager of

Rebuild America.
Four Rebuild America partnerships

participated in a radio tour during Earth

Day week in April in an effort to educate

the public about how saving energy and

operating more efficient buildings can

save communities money. Partnership

leaders who rose to the occasion were

Paulette Huber of Rebuild Toledo

(OH); John Root of Muscatine Power

& Water (IA);Michael Hoffer of

Building Owners and Managers

Association (BOMA-Atlanta);and Mark

Mikenas of Rebuild Kewanee (IL). The

interviews were coordinated by Rebuild

America’s M&C team. The following are

some highlights of what these partnership

leaders addressed during their radio

interviews.

During her 10-minute interview with

WFRO-FM radio,Paulette Huber explained

how energy audits can be effective tools

for demonstrating to building owners that

energy-efficiency improvements can be

paid for over five years with the savings

that result from the measures. Huber said

Rebuild Toledo performs energy audits

that are tailored to the building and factor

in how the building is used — number of

occupants,hours of operation,and the

kind of tasks being performed on the

premises. She also drew the link between

saving energy and decreasing the

pollution that results from the burning of

fossil fuels to generate power.

John Root,Energy Services Advisor for

Muscatine Power & Water (MP&W),and

leader of that utility’s Rebuild America

partnership,and Gary Weiskamp,public

relations manager for MP&W,spoke to the

benefits of saving energy for their

community during a 20-minute live

interview with KBUR-FM radio. Root

joined the MP&W one year ago and prior

to that,was an energy educator and

founder of the Rebuild Cedar Falls (IA)

partnership operating at the University of

Northern Iowa. Root told listeners that

during its first three months of operation,

the MP&W partnership attracted an

elementary school,a high school and 29

commercial customers that were

interested in saving energy. Students in

the targeted schools have been taught

how to perform home energy audits with

parental involvement and have completed

100 audits at present. On the commercial

side,the partnership has completed

building energy audits for its commercial

partners and has determined that an

investment of $425,000 in energy

improvements collectively will save these

29 partners $100,000 annually.

Tapping the Talent Pool

Root noted the importance of tapping

people in the community who are

interested in energy efficiency — building

maintenance staff,city housing managers,

architects,utility representatives — to

build a successful partnership. In addition

to directing listeners to 1-800-DOE-3732

for information,Root invited them to visit

the MP&W website: www.mpw.org.

In Atlanta,Michael Hoffer presides over

BOMA’s largest chapter:1,000 members,

half of whom manage buildings. During

his 10-minute live interview with WKUNFM,he noted the potential for reducing

energy consumption and emissions and

saving money in the commercial sector,

sharing his experience as the manager of a

50-story,1 million square-foot tower that

has 4,000 occupants. The BOMA-Atlanta

partnership was “seeking ways to be more

efficient energy users,”he said.

Hoffer said that utility costs for

commercial buildings in Atlanta run $1.40

to $1.50 per square foot,which puts the

cost for the 1-million-square-foot building

he manages at about $1.5 million annually.

Hoffer works with Georgia Power to shave

one third,or $500,000,off the building’s

annual utility costs.

Going into Conservation Mode

How does he do this? Hoffer explained

that through prior arrangement with

Georgia Power,the building periodically

goes off the grid and relies on its own

independent emergency generators. This

requires going into “energy conservation

mode”by taking steps to reduce demand,

such as dimming lights and turning off

motors,he explained. Noting that lighting,

not air conditioning,accounts for the

lion’s share of a building’s electricity use,

U.S. Department of Energy

Partnership Leaders Take Earth Day Radio Tour

Continued on page 4

CORRECTION:

In the giving-credit-where-credit-is-duedepartment...The March-April 2000 issue of

Partner Update should have credited

Leanne Hoadley, leader of Rebuild Presidio,

and not her predecessor, Laura Keresty, as

author of the article titled “Rebuild Presidio:

Getting Tenants to Buy into Energy

Efficiency.” Contact information for 

Leanne is leanne_hoadley@grove.com or 

415-561-2500 ext. 205. Our sincere

apologies for the gaffe.

Rebuild Presidio team members front row, from

left: Cyane Dandridge, Devon Danz, Maric Munn,

Shelley and Liam Hamilton; back row, from 

left: Leanne Hoadley, Dale Sartor, Kirk Brown,

June Barnard, Henry Dakin and David

Coggeshall.

3
U.S. Department of Energy

The Energy

Team 2000/

Rebuild 

in April

partnership,a

consortium of

five Bay Area

Christmas in April

organizations,

spearheaded a

successful oneday blitz to install

energy-efficiency

improvements in

over 100 homes in

the San Francisco Bay Area on April 29.

More than 100 volunteers,armed with

energy-efficiency training from the Energy

Team 2000 partnership,took part in this

effort to give an energy-efficient boost to

homes owned by disabled persons,senior

citizens and low-income families. Thanks to

Energy Team 2000/Rebuild in April,led by

Dr.Lisa Gartland,the participating homes

got “the treatment”with volunteers

weatherstripping windows and doors,

insulating water heaters,installing compact

fluorescent lamps (CFL) and low-flow

showerheads,and adding other costeffective energy and water saving devices.

This is the second year that Christmas in

April volunteers have installed energyefficiency improvements,Gartland says.

Energy Team 2000 has expanded its reach

from one Bay Area Christmas in April

chapter last year to include five chapters

this year.

Energy Team volunteers teamed with

Christmas in April volunteers to give

homes a new lease on life. A San Francisco

television news station filmed Energy Team

volunteers adding a new CFL to a porch

light,caulking cracks,and installing a water

heater blanket in the home of a senior

citizen living in Albany. At the heart of

their coverage was Anna Allen,whose

home recently had been severely

vandalized and burgled while she was in

the hospital recuperating from hip surgery.

A military officer was on hand to present

her with an American flag to replace one

she received at her son’s funeral that was

stolen by vandals. Allen’s son,a U.S.naval

aviator and flight instructor at Top Gun,

died during a training exercise several

months ago.

Gartland notes that energy-efficiency

improvements increase the affordability of

a home through energy savings and can

make a significant difference to individuals

and families with limited resources.

Energy Team 2000’s work to apply over

500 energy and water conservation

measures in more than 110 homes will

collectively save an estimated $11,600

annually in homeowner's utility bills.

Donating supplies or money to the Energy

Team 2000 blitz were Delco Energy

Services,California Water Service Co.,East

Bay Municipal Utility District,Habitat for

Humanity,JKRL USA,Positivenergy,RSA

Supply;and various individuals. The

Energy Team 2000 partnership supplied

the volunteers.

For additional information, contact

Lisa Gartland at lisa@pstvnrg.com or at

510-595-7674.

Energy Team 2000 Tackles Bay Area Homes

Earth Day Radio Tour

Continued from page 3

Neil McGaraghan, Energy

Team 2000-San Francisco,

tackles installing pipe

insulation.

Kris Kinney of Energy Team 2000-South Bay,

flanked by his helpers, weatherstrips a door

during the April 29 blitz. 

Earth Day Radio Tour

Continued from page 3

Hoffer retrofitted the lighting throughout the 10-year-old building,

realizing significant savings from replacing incandescent fixtures

with compact fluorescent lighting and switching from magnetic

to electronic ballasts.

“The payback was tremendous,”he said. Increasing the energy

efficiency of commercial buildings means that Georgia Power can

avoid building new plants – and it means the environment

benefits from burning less coal and fuel oil and from

using less hydroelectricity,Hoffer noted. Hoffer

concluded his remarks by saying that Rebuild

America helped small businesses as well as large

businesses save energy and dollars and that it was

looking to develop relationships with more communities

nationwide.

Mark Mikenas delved into areas central to Rebuild America

during his 20-minute live interview with WOC-AM,including how

to help businesses conserve energy and how to spur economic

development by expanding on efforts underway in communities.

Mikenas addressed the benefits of using energy audits as a

decision-making tool to help select the buildings likely to have the

best payback. He also mentioned the importance of a recent state

grant award to Rebuild Kewanee that will enable the partnership

to hire an energy coordinator to raise public awareness about the

community benefits of energy efficiency. This community

outreach effort will have a special emphasis on getting students

and teachers involved in energy conservation,using contests as a 4 vehicle to stir interest.
U.S. Department of Energy

The regions have been a hub of peer exchange

activity. Here’s a roundup of recent activity: 

Boston Region

Over 65 participants attended Rebuild America’s Boston

Regional Peer Exchange at the historic Providence Biltmore Hotel

in Rhode Island on April 17-19. Half of those attending were from

state and community partnerships. Attendees presented

innovative and creative solutions to partnership challenges. Panel

discussions covered the realities and opportunities available to

customers in purchasing electricity as an aggregated entity and

highlighted resources available to Rebuild America partnerships.

The resources panelists included speakers from the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency,U.S.Department of Housing and

Urban Development,Federal Energy Management Agency,the

National Main Street Program and Rebuild America. Deregulation

and utility industry restructuring was addressed on a state by state

basis,with utility representatives leading table discussions. This

successful peer exchange will likely become an annual forum with

a subsequent meeting in the spring of 2001. For more

information contact Greg Davoren, Boston Regional Team

Leader at 617-565-9706.

Denver Region

The Denver Peer Exchange drew an estimated 70 participants

during its April 12-13 meeting in Lakewood,CO. The meeting

attracted an interesting mix

of partnership leaders and

their staff,Business Partners,

and program and other

government agency

representatives at the local,

state and federal levels,all of

whom were listening,

learning and sharing

information. Topics

participants addressed

included understanding

Rebuild America in its many

forms,exploring how other

DOE initiatives tie in with Rebuild America,reaching schools

effectively and EnergySmart Schools,approaching funding

challenges,integrating Business Partners services with community

needs and working with the press to raise awareness and

communicate partnership successes,among many other topics.

The Peer Exchange concluded with a tour of the National

Renewable Energy Laboratory headquarters in Golden,where

participants received an overview of NREL’s research with solar,

wind and other renewable and green building technologies,and a

glimpse of what’s to come. For more information, contact Dave

Waltzman at 303-275-4821.

questions you have been meaning to ask,but haven't.

Housed in the "News + Events" section are a number of new

features. The “Calendar of Events”allows users to see by

month what events,conferences,and workshops are taking

place around the country. Current and past issues of Partner

Update,Flash Reports and Partnership Close-Ups are also

available on-line as Adobe Acrobat PDF documents for easy

viewing and downloading. “Toolbox”also offers visitors a

range of resources to choose from — free software,

the Action Plan guidebook,links to customer service or

useful websites.

We encourage you to visit www.eren.doe.gov/

buildings/rebuild and try out the new features.

Send us your feedback on “Shoptalk”.

Rebuild America’s presence on the web has been strengthened

considerably with the launch of our revamped website. The

rejuvenated web site offers useful information and serves as a

powerful tool for Rebuild America program staff.

The goal was to provide a full-service web site,filled with timely

news on community partnerships,program activities,events and

milestones,and useful tools to help move partnership projects from

start to completion. It has been designed to be fully interactive,

allowing partnership representatives and program team staff access

into a secured area where they may edit,add and download

information at any time.

We hope that new features such as "Shoptalk," an on-line

discussion area in the "Toolbox" section,and “FAQ’s,”an on-line

question & answer forum,will provide valuable information for

Rebuild America Web Site Gets a Makeover

5

New and Improved!

Continued on page 9

Bud Rogers of Noresco, a Rebuild

America business partner, makes his

point during a Denver Peer Exchange

table discussion.

Rebuild America Briefs
U.S. Department of Energy

Solar Ambitions: Schools Network Gains Foothold

School may be out for the summer,but not for Rebuild America

program representatives and partnership leaders who work year

round to strengthen schools in communities across the nation.

One example is an informal K-12 EnergySmart Schools team that

is taking shape in the Denver region. Central to this effort are

Dave Waltzman,Denver Region team leader; Jamey Evans,

Million Solar Roofs Initiative program manager;Glen Kizer,leader

of the 1500 Days Central Ohio Partnership;and Alyssa

Newman,Denver Region program representative. Kizer has been

active in introducing schools in the eastern U.S.to solar energy

and helps to pull the players together to install ground-mounted

photovoltaic (PV) arrays in a number of schools. He also helps

organize dedications for the solar arrays that attract press attention

and spread the word about the benefits of introducing renewable

technologies to our schools. To date,he has worked with schools

in Ohio,West Virginia,and Indiana to install and dedicate groundmounted solar arrays.

Denver Region Makes Inroads

Kizer,who is also president of the Foundation for

Environmental Education,gets additional bounce out of educating

the public about renewable technologies such as solar through a

series of programs he produces for PBS. (See West Virginia School

Goes Solar story,this issue.) Newman believed the Denver

Region could benefit from Kizer’s approach and has been

collaborating with him and a growing group of state energy

offices,community entities,utility representatives,non-profits,and

business partners to create a model school with a PV array in each

state in the region. To date,solar panels have been installed in

schools and a daycare center in Texas,New Mexico and Colorado

and activity is underway in six other states in the region,

according to Newman. Central and Southwest Power,

recently acquired by American Electric Power,is

dismantling a solar research park,and will be deploying

approximately 80 1-kilowatt solar panels to benefit Rebuild

America partnerships in their service territory. The team hopes 

to establish similar relationships with other utilities and business

partners.

School Connections

The regional K-12 team is working on a 2-year plan to connect

the schools in the Rebuild America network. They are presently

working to increase efficiencies in schools and renewables activity

by linking peers,according to Newman. For example,one effort

puts teachers,principals and utility representatives from Ohio

schools that have installed solar arrays in touch with their

counterparts in Texas for an information exchange. The Rebuild

America schools team is also assisting participating schools in

incorporating energy efficiency and renewable energy lessons

into the curriculum. The team also consults with schools on the

merits of ground-mounted vs.rooftop systems,and other benefits

associated with bringing a solar project to a community.

“A ground-mounted system is preferred because it provides a

better learning environment,”Newman says. “It makes a greater

impact when you can see it or touch it.”

For additional information, contact Alyssa Newman at

Alyssa_Newman@nrel.gov or at 303-275-4810 or Glen Kizer at

GKizer@centurysurety.com.

From left: Glen Kizer,

West Virginia Gov. Cecil

Underwood and

Washington Lands

Elementary School

Principal Marian Kajfez.

6

Children from Longfellow Elementary School in Westerville, OH

attend the dedication of a solar panel array for their school, which

is part of the Million Solar Roofs initiative. Westerville has been

named a Rebuild America community.

Solar Schools Report
U.S. Department of Energy

It’s a first for Texas: Using solar power to help meet a school’s

energy needs and seizing the opportunity to teach students about

renewable energy. The Kingsville City Commission and Chamber

of Commerce (TX),the lead partners in Rebuild Kingsville — in

cooperation with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Rebuild

America program and Million Solar Roofs initiative,Central and

South West Electric Utility Corporation (CSW),Central Power and

Light Company (CPL),the Foundation for Environmental

Education,and the Kingsville Independent School District — is

partnering in an exciting community-based project that’s designed

to save energy and serve as a teaching tool.

A formal dedication ceremony for the installed solar project at

the Gillett Intermediate School in Kingsville on April 18 drew

government and business community representatives and 600

students who roared in approval as Gillett Intermediate School

Principal Oscar H. Acosta officially took possession of 

the system.

The project began last January when CSW/CPL donated and

installed six energy-efficient photovoltaic panels on the school

grounds. The 1.2 kilowatt solar panel array is directly connected

to the main electrical grid of the school building. The system

provides students with an opportunity to learn from the

computer-generated solar data that is collected. All Gillett students

have access to computers and may view output from the solarenergy project and other online information. [To view

information from the project,visit www.kvisd.esc2.net.]

Science teachers have incorporated the solar energy panels and

the curriculum provided by the partnership into its normal

studies. “We are learning from this project along with our

students,”noted one Gillett science teacher.

The project has strong backing from Kingsville Mayor Phil

Esquivel,who stresses its importance in teaching children about

energy efficiency. Will Thierry,area business manager for CPL,

says Gillett students now have “the opportunity to explore firsthand the possibilities of renewable energy technology which

could be a viable source of energy in the future.”

For additional information, contact Alyssa Newman at

Alyssa_Newman@nrel.gov or at 303-275-4810 or Joe Cisneros 

at the Kingsville Chamber of Commerce at 361-592-6438.

City of Kingsville Partners With DOE on Solar

Energy Project

A West Virginia elementary school is the first school in the state

to participate in the U.S.Department of Energy’s EnergySmart

Schools and Million Solar Roofs Schools initiatives.

Washington Lands Elementary School,West Virginia’s first school

to install a solar electricity system,dedicated the system on May

15 amid a colorful fanfare of songs and skits about the sun and

speeches about the system’s educational value.

The school,which has 365 students,installed the system

through the Learning from Light! program,a cooperative effort of

energy suppliers,federal and state governments,local

communities and other partners to help schools worldwide install

solar energy systems and teach their students about energy

resources.

The AstroPower system installed at Washington Lands

Elementary School is a 1,000-watt system consisting of two panels

measuring 84-by-96 inches each. The ground-mounted system is

electrically connected to the school building. Internet-based

software developed by American Electric Power (AEP) allows

students,teachers and others to click on to

www.aep.com/environment/solar to track the school’s energy

demand and the amount of energy supplied by the solar panels.

Enhanced math and science comprehension among students is

a desired outcome of the installation and the network created on

AEP’s web site.

The solar electricity system was funded by AEP’s KammerMitchell power plant. Washington Lands Elementary School will

be highlighted in a 30-minute television documentary produced

by the Foundation for Environmental Education,which is

spearheaded by Glen Kizer,leader of the 1500

Days Central Ohio Partnership. The documentary

will be featured on public television later this year

and will be distributed to schools nationwide. For

more information, contact Glen Kizer at

GKizer@centurysurety.com.

West Virginia School Goes Solar

Students break into solar song

at the dedication of a PV panel

array at Washington Lands

Elementary School

7

Solar Schools Report
U.S. Department of Energy

Snapshot

Paul Johnson

is the Seattle

Regional Team

Leader for

Rebuild

America.

Vital Statistics:

Lives in the

Magnolia section of Seattle with his wife

of 20 years,Kathy,and two dogs. Received

a B.A.from Georgetown in history and has

done some graduate work in Public

Administration.

Current Role with Rebuild America:

A Team Leader for Rebuild America in the

Seattle Region since the early days of the

program’s development. Recently

promoted and is transitioning into a new

job as Director of Regional Partnerships

for his office. Supervises a staff

responsible for all community,federal and

industrial programs operated through the

Seattle Regional Office. Is seeking ways to

integrate Rebuild America activities with

other work performed by members 

of his team.

Most Rewarding Aspect of your

Work:Working with an incredible

network of creative,high-energy people.

My work in Peer Exchange activities in my

region has been particularly rewarding.

How did you become involved in

Rebuild: I was involved in designing the

original program about six years ago at

DOE headquarters,liked what I saw,and

decided to join the program.

What has been your greatest

Rebuild America Challenge: Being

sure that we can meet the needs and

exceed the expectations of our many

Rebuild America partnerships.

What do you do in your spare time?

Antiquing and gardening.

Favorite book, movie, TV show: Any

Sue Grafton novel and any program on

The History Channel.

What would be your dream job if

you weren’t doing what you’re doing

now? I’d do the same thing I’m doing

now – working with communities as a

member of the private sector.

Rebuild Fulton,IL joined the City of Fulton,elected officials

and a crowd of more than 1,000 at the dedication of an authentic

92-foot windmill from the Netherlands to celebrate the

community’s Dutch heritage on May 6. The dedication took place

during Fulton’s Dutch Days Festival,an eagerly anticipated annual

event that attracted an estimated 10,000 celebrants.

The dedication drew regional television coverage from two

Davenport,IA area stations,Moline Public Television and AT&T

Cable. Newspapers from as far away as Peoria,which is about 75

miles from Fulton,covered the dedication.

Through Rebuild Fulton,the City plans to use the windmill as

an educational tool and will explore its potential for generating

electricity to light the Fulton Great River Walk in downtown

Fulton.

For over 20 years this predominantly Dutch community has

sought to erect an authentic windmill to celebrate its ancestry.

Originally used to grind flour in Holland,the

windmill symbolizes the past and represents

Fulton’s future. The City views the windmill as an

opportunity to educate the community about the

benefits of renewable energy and to stimulate the

local economy through tourism,notes Joan Boyer,Fulton City

administrator and leader of Rebuild Fulton.

Fulton Mayor Paul Kikkema and Burt Bulder,CEO of

Lowland’s Management,the company that helped Fulton obtain

the windmill,unveiled the official name of the windmill at the

dedication: de Immigrant. Rachel Ottens,an 11-year-old area

resident,submitted the winning name. Deputy Consulate General

of the Netherlands Hans Hageman released the brake on the

windmill to allow the sail to turn.

The $790,000 installation of the windmill was funded by the

Illinois Department of Commerce and the Community Affairs

Tourism Department. Visitors may purchase personalized bricks

to pave the walkway leading to the windmill. Their contributions

help fund the installation of working grindstones that will

demonstrate how the original windmill ground flour and wheat.

The working windmill would serve as a demonstration project for

area schools and neighboring communities.

For additional information, contact Joan Boyer at 

815-589-2616 or Geri Perrotte of DOE’s Chicago Regional 

Office at 312-886-8597, or e-mail geri.perrotte@hq.doe.gov.

Rebuild Fulton Helps Community 

Celebrate Dutch Heritage

8
U.S. Department of Energy

Workbench

Upcoming Events Business Partners Met in

Henderson

Rebuild America Business Partners

were put to the test on June 13 at the

Business Partners Forum in

Henderson,NV. At the invitation of the

City of Henderson leadership,the

Business Partners rolled up their

sleeves and contributed some “real

life”energy-efficiency and renewable

solutions for the City of Henderson,

one of Nevada’s fastest growing

communities.

The downside to the City’s

accelerated rate of growth is that

energy demands are likely to outpace

supplies,and Mayor Jim Gibson and

Rebuild Henderson leader Skeet

Fitzgerald and other local leaders are

looking to the Business Partners to

help them stay on course.

The Business Partners also met with

the Rebuild Presidio partnership

about the need to retrofit over 600

buildings on the grounds of the

former Presidio military base in San

Francisco. And the Town of Grundy

Philadelphia Region

Several partnerships presented challenges and solutions at the first mid-Atlantic

Peer Exchange,held March 27-29 in Morgantown,WV. A mix of speaker

presentations and panel and table discussions served as the forum for tackling

problem solving and presenting fresh and often innovative ideas. The meeting

presented an opportunity to explain the Business Partners program and what it

brings to Rebuild America partnerships,to discuss EnergySmart Schools,and to

clarify the State Energy Program grant process and the technical assistance

available from the Department of Energy national laboratories. For more

information, contact Judy Dyer at 304-558-0350 or judyd@wvdo.org;

or Susan Guard, Philadelphia Regional Team Leader at

215-656-6965 or susan.guard@pro.doe.gov.

July

July 9-12 - Rural, Small School

Superintendents Conference, Killington, VT

(Killington Grand Resort). Sponsored by the

American Association of School

Administrators. Visit www.aasa.org/

events/events.htm.

July 14-18 - NACo Annual Conference,

Charlotte, NC. Contact John McGillicuddy at

704-336-2597 or e-mail

mcgiljp@co.mecklenburg.nc.us.

July 16-18 - APPA 2000 Educational

Conference & 87th Annual Meeting Fort

Worth, TX (Fort Worth Convention Center).

Visit www.appa.org.

July 16-20 - National Council of State

Legislatures 26th Annual Meeting, Chicago.

Visit www.ncsl.org.

July 17-20 - Energy Leadership in the 21st

Century, SEP’s 2000 All-States Meeting,

Burlington, VT (Sheraton Burlington).

Contact Carol Ault, D&R International at

301-589-0100.

July 19-21 - 11th Annual National Schools

Facilities Workshop, San Antonio, TX (The

Menger Hotel). Visit www.tasanet.org.

July 20-22 - Southeastern Builders Show,

Orlando, FL (Orange County Convention

Center). Contact Pat Love, ORNL at

423-574-4346.

July 23-28 - GlobeEx - The Global Energy

Exposition - ENERGEX2000, Las Vegas, NV

(Riviera Hotel Convention Center). Contact

Kathleen Moon, 619-294-2999, ext. 145,

kmoon@pgi.com.

July 27-3020 - NAHRO Summer Conference,

Salt Lake City, UT. Visit

www.nahro.org/conference/ index.html.

(VA) partnership,which is relocating

its downtown to keep it safe from

flooding,similarly consulted with the

Business Partners about the resources

required to implement its ambitious

plan. (See p.1 story in this issue.) The

forum also explored how Business

Partners can work with Native

American tribes on energy efficiency

and renewable technologies.

“The forum was structured in

working groups where participants

met face-to-face to address challenges,”

Business Partners Team Leader Doug

Avery says.

Business Partners are currently

forming three working groups to

address technical issues,promote

awareness and education,and to

develop projects to facilitate working

relationships with Rebuild America

partnerships.

For more information, contact

Doug Avery at davery@lbl.gov.

9

Rebuild America Briefs

Continued from page 5
U.S. Department of Energy

America partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

(Corps) and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to

make the most of this opportunity to create a smart downtown

with a promising future. Town Manager Chuck Crabtree is

leading the partnership.

A cost-cutting and cost-sharing collaboration among

government agencies has paid big dividends. Town plans to move

to safer ground got a big boost when VDOT realized it would save

$77 million if it nixed plans to bypass the town with the

construction of Route 460,which will stretch across Virginia to

the Kentucky border when complete. By taking the road through

the existing town,VDOT could spare some of the considerable

expense of blasting through mountain rock to create a bypass.

Town leaders are betting that the infusion of traffic through the

town will give it a new lease on life. Grundy’s new downtown

will be located out of the flood zone and directly across the Levisa

River on a 13-acre site donated by Norfolk & Southern Railroad

that will be prepared by the Corps.

Most of the 39 buildings comprising Grundy’s downtown were

built in the 1940s. Half of them still have inefficient coal-fired

furnaces. Battered by flood waters,full of mud and beyond repair

— all but a few will be torn down. VDOT plans to build a levee to

protect the court house,bank,sheriff’s office,post office and the

historic Buchanan County House. Nearby homes that have not

been abandoned or bought out in anticipation of the new road,

will be floodproofed which entails positioning the HVAC system

significantly higher on the building.

The new downtown will feature a mix of

shops,restaurants,and office and municipal

buildings arranged around an attractively

landscaped pedestrian plaza. Multifamily and

single family homes will also be part of the new downtown. The

partnership is working with the U.S.Department of Energy to

incorporate energy-efficiency strategies into buildings in the new

downtown. A bridge and a pedestrian walkway will provide the

links from the existing community to the new downtown. Plans

also call for developing a scenic riverwalk and pedestrian bridge

along the waterfront of the old downtown.

“We’re turning the river into an asset instead of a liability,”

he says.

Grundy Rebounds

Buchanan County has the highest unemployment rate in

Virginia and Crabtree maintains that Grundy’s new town will

bring 400 new jobs to the town.

Grundy is rebounding not only from flooding but from a

reliance on the coal industry. The town is “mined out,”Crabtree

says,and is working to diversify into cleaner industries. Attracting

incubator businesses to the area to create business opportunities

and stimulate the economy is one avenue the town is pursuing.

The town has also been working with Virginia Technical Institute

to make Grundy the first wireless community.

As Crabtree points out: “Running fiber optic cable in the

mountains is cost prohibitive.”

By collaborating with local,state and federal agencies,the plan

to move Grundy’s downtown to the opposite side of the river has

been reduced from its original estimated cost of $350 million to

$160 million. In addition to VDOT’s savings of $77 million by

avoiding the costs of a bypass,the Corps has saved $100 million in

floodproofing costs. The town originally was to have contributed

$25 million to the project — a tall order for this economically

depressed area — but given the savings realized,it can now invest

those funds elsewhere.

This fall,Grundy plans to break ground on the first building in

its new downtown — a fire station. The new building will

incorporate an efficient electric heating and cooling system in lieu

of a kerosene-fueled furnace,quality insulation,drop ceilings and a

separate heating system for the garage,the training quarters and

office space.

“With the Town of Grundy’s Rebuild America partnership,we

are striving to help the environment,reduce the impact of the

energy crisis,and stimulate the economy at the same time by

creating housing and jobs,”Crabtree says.

For more information, e-mail Chuck Crabtree at

chuck@grundyvirginia.com or phone 540-935-2551.

Appalachian Town

Continued from page 1

10

View from Route 460 to Grundy’s new downtown.
U.S. Department of Energy

historic district,a stable funding

mechanism for the business association,a

new city staff position focused on

economic revitalization,and a new

community development corporation.

With this stronger organizational structure

in place,new partnerships with the state

and county became possible. Mount

Ranier secured major state funding under

Gov.Parris Glendening’s“smart growth”

programs that address commercial

building rehabilitation to eliminate blight.

By bringing in experts from Rebuild

America,ENERGYSTAR® and other

programs,Sissine helped the City’s

decision makers see how energy-efficient

building design and technologies could

substantially reduce long-term operating

costs while supporting Mount Ranier’s

goals for main street historic preservation

and economic revitalization.

Initiatives in planning or underway in

Mount Rainier include energy-efficient

new construction as well as retrofit work

to existing buildings. One retrofit project

will incorporate green energy features into

an apartment building that provides

housing for low-income artists.

Green Police and Fire Stations

In 1996,the City began planning a

police station that combines historic

preservation practices with a broad array

of energy efficiency and other “green”

design features. It serves as a good

example of adaptive re-use — the blighted

building was once an auto dealership.

Energy consultant John Spears of

Sustainable Design,Inc.,says the design

goal is to reduce energy demand to least

50 percent below the ASHRAE standard.

Further,the project aims to attain a “silver”

rating on the guidelines for Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

developed by the U.S.Green Building

Council. The design concept includes a

clerestory for natural day lighting and

passive solar heat gain,highly rated roof

insulation,and a high-efficiency HVAC

system.

In 1996,the City issued a bond to begin

the project. Jack Werner of Rebuild

America offered guidance on features and

technical assistance. The project is moving

to a detailed design phase and then to

construction with completion expected

by mid-2001.

Mount Rainier has also participated in

planning for the construction of a new fire

station for Prince Georges County. With

help from County Councilman Peter

Shapiro and a citizens advisory group,the

City has pushed for energy-efficient

measures in the building and site design.

As a result,the county’s architect is using

the LEED criteria to plan the facility.

In March 1999,Sissine worked with the

Mike Lawson of Councilman Shapiro’s

staff to organize a “green”building briefing

for the county councilman,fire chief,

and other county staff. The briefing

incorporated green building experts 

from Maryland Department of Natural

Resources,Maryland Energy

Administration,U.S.Green Building

Council,the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) and the Department of

Energy (DOE).

This led to a peer exchange visit for

county officials and the project architect

to a fire station renovation project in

Arlington,VA,that employed the LEED

criteria.One result of Prince Georges

County’s involvement with this project

was a decision to become a Rebuild

America partner earlier this year. A

preliminary estimate suggested that

energy-efficiency design and equipment

might cut energy consumption at the fire

station by as much as one-fourth to onehalf the baseline,yielding savings of

$7,500 to $15,000 per year and a CO2

emissions reduction of between 77 tons

and 154 tons per year. Construction could

be finished by late-2001.

In Mount Rainier,several governmental

energy-efficiency projects are now

finished or in progress. Private sector

involvement in residential and commercial

sector projects is now getting underway.

Sissine began serving on the Mount

Rainier City Council in 1990,and has

served as mayor since 1993. He had

previously served as president of the local

historic preservation group and as

secretary of the local business association.

He has made presentations on economic

revitalization at Maryland state

conferences,testified for Gov.Glendening’s

smart growth legislation,and made

presentations on local government energy

measures and climate change at

conferences sponsored by EPA and DOE.

For more information, contact Fred

Sissine at 301-927-2125 or e-mail

dsissi@erols.com

Profile

Continued from page 1

11

Mount Ranier’s City Hall incorporates a variety of

energy-efficient features.
Rebuild America is a network of community

partnerships – made up of local governments

and businesses – that save money by saving

energy. These voluntary partnerships, working

with the U.S. Department of Energy, choose the

best ways to improve the energy efficiency of

commercial, government and apartment

buildings. Rebuild America supports them

with business and technical tools and 

customized assistance.

By the year 2003, Rebuild America 

partnerships will be involved in over 

2 billion square feet of building renovations,

which will save $650 million every year in

energy costs, generate $3 billion in private

community investment, create 26,000 new

private sector jobs, and reduce air pollution by

1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Rebuild America 

Office of Building Technology,

State and Community Programs

U.S.Department of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue,SW

Washington,DC 20585-0121

Address Correction Requested

Rebuild America Welcomes 16 New Partnerships

City of Central Falls, RI

Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, Inc., San Juan Pueblo, NM

Enfield Public Schools, Enfield, CT

Hamilton County SEED, Webster City, IA

Hendricks Power Cooperative, Clayton, IN

Partners for Energy Efficient Redevelopment (PEER) - Salt Lake City, UT

Rebuild City of Idaho Falls, ID

Rebuild Moscow Community, ID

Rebuild Portland Schools, OR

Rebuild Scotland Public Schools, Scotland, AR

Saving Water & Energy Education Program, Salem, OR.

Tolland Public Schools, Tolland, CT

Town of Burrillville/Pascoag Fire District, RI

Town of Johnston, RI

Town of Shoreham, Block Island, RI

Warwick Public School Department and City of Warwick

Share Your Success

To submit news or story ideas, contact: 

• Elise G. Rand, (202) 466-7391, or e-mail

erand@pcgpr.com

• Anita Denning, (301) 588-9387, or e-mail

adenning@drintl.com

To be placed on the mailing list for Rebuild America

Partner Update, e-mail rebuildamerica@drintl.com.

Total Number of

Partnerships...........................

Total Square Feet 

Retrofitted...............................

Number of States and 

Territories with Partnerships...... The community-spirited Southern Sustainability partnership carried the Rebuild America banner

during an Earth Day event at Turkey Park in Carbondale, IL. From left: Dave Paprocki of

Southern Sustainability and Ted Meiling of the City of Carbondale. 

265

386

51

million 

sq.ft.

Check us out: www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/rebuild or 1-800-DOE-3732