Energy industry professionals throughout the Northwest can plug in to share information and learn the latest energy efficiency best practices thanks to Conduit—the region’s first online energy efficiency collaboration tool. The new tool, introduced by Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) seeks to harness the collective and diverse knowledge, experience and passion of individuals who are working to maximize energy efficiency in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Conduit will increase collaboration and help the region meet its energy efficiency goals.

"Our goal is to engage all energy efficiency professionals in the Northwest,” said Mike Weedall, vice president, BPA Energy Efficiency. “Conduit is going to help us meet the region’s aggressive energy efficiency targets. It will bring together customers of all shapes and sizes, who can help one another and ensure the Northwest remains a national leader in energy efficiency.”

Similar to other professional networking websites, Conduit participants create a profile that can be shared in whole or parts with the community. Conduit then provides a collaborative workspace where participants can share and comment on energy efficiency best practices, discuss current issues, learn about emerging technologies, keep up with current trends and network with their peers.

"The call for cost-effective regional collaboration and innovation around energy efficiency continues to gain momentum,” said Claire Fulenwider, NEEA’s executive director. “With an increasing number of active energy efficiency players in our region, this is the right time to establish a place online to tap into the potential energy of the region – to collaborate with one another and share resources. Conduit provides a tangible medium to let us find ways to deliver regional efficiency, better, faster and cheaper.”

Conduit was co-developed by NEEA and BPA because of a tremendous interest from the region in harnessing the connective power of online communities for efficiency professionals. Over the last three months, Conduit has been piloted by a group of 185 energy efficiency professionals, representing 53 different organizations. Conduit is a resource for all professionals working on energy efficiency issues, from utility executives and program managers, to communicators, planners and evaluators. Registered users can collaborate on documents, create and participate in groups, engage in discussions, solicit feedback and share news and events with one another.