BCAP Graduates from the Alliance to Save Energy to Become an Independent Organization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 26, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — The Alliance to Save Energy and the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP) are pleased to announce the realization of an important milestone in our long and successful partnership. Beginning June 1, 2014, BCAP will “graduate” from its status as a program of the Alliance and become an independent organization.

“The BCAP team and our many partners are enormously grateful for the twenty years’ of stewardship provided by the Alliance, and for the encouragement they are giving us as we leave the nest,” said Maureen Guttman, AIA, Executive Director of BCAP. “There are exciting opportunities for collaboration with the Alliance that we are committed to pursuing, even as we explore new areas of growth for BCAP.”

Through its work at the national, state and local levels, BCAP provides education and technical support for code adoption proceedings, promotes collaboration among stakeholders to achieve action at the state level, and addresses common barriers to compliance through the development of innovative programs and tools. The building sector accounts for around 40% of total energy use and over 70% of electricity use in the U.S. and thus is a key target sector for the deployment of energy efficiency measures. Adoption and enforcement of the nation’s model energy codes is, by far, the simplest and most effective means of achieving widespread savings in the built environment.

“BCAP was started in 1994 as a joint project of the Alliance, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy,” said Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy. “Today, BCAP is a nationally known and highly-regarded resource for all information related to energy code development, adoption and compliance. We are proud to recognize the breadth of BCAP’s influence and the depth of expertise of its staff which position it well to flourish as an independent organization.”

The “graduation” of BCAP also furthers a key, strategic recommendation of the Alliance Board of Directors to move away from programmatic work and toward a more robust focus on national policy advocacy. BCAP will remain located in the Alliance offices for the time being — keeping the great people who comprise BCAP within the folds of the Alliance family.