In The News

AEE Arkansas Chapter News & Events

The AEE Arkansas Chapter ended 2019 with a strong annual Energy Summit Conference and Trade Show. Over 130 were in attendance, with 20 vendors participating in the trade show and many out of state guests/speakers. The conference included 4 continuing education hours of seminars, as well as a backstage tour of the recently renovated Robinson Performance Hall showcasing its sustainable features making it an astonishing LEED gold facility.

We had a strong membership drive in December and started the year off with terrific Chapter meetings in January and February. Bill Ball kicked off our year with a presentation of the solar industry and the ins-and outs of a solar project today. Bill is our Legislative Affairs Chairman and has been involved in writing legislation for the benefit of renewables and energy efficiency. Net metering has been a hot item on the Arkansas legislature docket.

The newly elected board members met in January to prepare for webinars to reach out to our NE and NW Arkansas members who struggle to make the monthly meetings in Little Rock. The unforeseen COVID-19 virus has disrupted current in-person chapter meetings, but the preparation of the board will be paying off with already scheduled virtual meetings in the summer of 2020.

The Arkansas Chapter has been tasked by the Arkansas Energy Office with executing the largest educational program agreements the Chapter has had to date. This year, the Arkansas Chapter will be conducting 4 Energy Management seminars, 4 specialty seminars directed specifically to college students to raise engagement in Energy Management careers and starting of a student chapter, a CEM course and exam, a BEP course and exam, and a BSP course and exam. In February, the Chapter hosted an ASHRAE certified educational training. The one-day seminar discussed “Guideline 32: Operations and Maintenance of High Performing Buildings”. In March, the chapter completed a week long CEM training course, providing education to 16 students who are eagerly awaiting their test results. The short term educational courses will be in the form of webinar.

The Arkansas Chapter is as strong as it has ever been with growing membership and involvement between business and government leadership.