Power Factor Newsletter

Key Accounts and Community Leader Summit Recap

The first-ever Key Accounts and Community Leader Summit filled the old Red Cross building at Fort Vancouver the morning of Wednesday, November 19th, 2025.

Local business leaders, elected officials and their staffers from all levels of government gathered to learn about the regional energy landscape and how they can partner with Clark Public Utilities to navigate it.

Emceed by Director of Communications and Corporate Citizenship Erica Erland, attendees learned about the benefits of being a public utility customer, along with the limitations we face in the broad regulatory environment we work in.

Clean Energy Program Manager Matt Babbitts reviewed how meeting Washington state’s aggressive clean energy and decarbonization policies requires close collaboration between utilities, local government, business, and community nonprofits that assist low- and limited-income households. Our utility is well positioned to meet the challenge thanks to our strong conservation and energy assistance programs, investments in grid modernization and ongoing development of clean energy resources.

Director of Energy Resources Steve Andersen walked through the utility’s energy portfolio and the regional challenges that lie ahead. The region has enough power for the near-term, but new generation and transmission isn’t being built fast enough or close enough to rising demand. The 2024 Martin Luther King, Jr.-week storm revealed how extreme weather events can put the region at risk for prolonged blackouts. As new generation is built, Clark Public Utilities and others can rely on customer-facing energy efficiency and demand response programs and coordination with other utilities.

Before a quick break, we heard brief presentations from Cascade Energy and Stillwater Energy on the work we are doing in partnership with them. Dan Brown, CEO of Cascade Energy, highlighted the success of industrial energy efficiency in our region and strategies to ensure continued future success. Next, Mo Phenix, Program Manager with Stillwater Energy, presented an update on the Commercial Strategic Energy Management and reviewed several new programs designed to assist building operators and provide value at no additional cost to the customer.

Manager of Energy Services Debbie DePetris reviewed the significant energy and financial savings customers achieve when they participate in conservation programs. Industrial Key Accounts Manager Aaron Frechette and Key Accounts Energy Solutions Manager Bill Hibbs dove further into the details by reviewing the many incentivized efficiency programs available to industrial and commercial customers and the benefits that are possible when companies enroll.

We’d like to thank all of our customers who were in attendance at this event. If you’d like to learn more, please contact your Key Accounts Manager.

Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard – Tier II Early Adopter Incentives and Support Pilot and Workshop Schedule

Do you have a commercial building that is 20,000 – 50,000 square feet in Clark County? If your answer is yes, you will need to comply with the Washington State Clean Buildings Performance Standard by July 1, 2027. The three primary compliance components are as follows:

• Benchmarking in Energy Star Portfolio Manager to track energy use in your building over time
• Implementing an operations and maintenance plan
• Creating an energy management plan

Clark Public Utilities is excited to announce a new free program offering to support you with WA Clean Buildings Performance Standard compliance. Clark Public Utilities Tier 2 Accelerator Program will provide you with compliance support and resources through a series of three webinars and access to our Tier 2 online dashboard. Please see the webinar topics below, which will be offered multiple times this year on a rotating schedule and can be taken at your own pace. Once you enroll in the program, you will be able to register for the webinars and access resources on your Tier 2 Dashboard.

• Webinar 1: Benchmarking – Our team will walk you through the step-by-step process to set up your ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (ESPM) account, add your building(s) and connect with Clark Public Utilities for uploads of your utility consumption data. We will review how to obtain your Energy Use Intensity (EUI) from ESPM and calculate your Energy Use Intensity Target (EUIt).
• Webinar 2: Energy Management Plan (EMP) – During this webinar our team will walk you through Section 5 of the law which requires you to develop and implement an Energy Management Plan (EMP). We will provide you with a template and walk through how to fill out each section of the EMP.
• Webinar 3: Operations and Maintenance Program (O&M) – This webinar will focus on the development and implementation of the building’s O&M Program using tools and templates. We will provide examples of how buildings can meet the intent of the standard and incorporate required components such as an equipment and systems inventory and tracking preventative maintenance tasks. We will also highlight energy saving opportunities that all building owners can implement.

The webinar schedule can be found below:

• 4/28 – Webinar 2: Energy Management Plan (EMP)
• 5/26 – Webinar 3: O&M Program
• 6/16 – Webinar 1: Benchmarking
• 7/21 – Webinar 1: Benchmarking
• 8/25 – Webinar 2: Energy Management Plan (EMP)
• 9/22 – Webinar 3: O&M Program
• 10/27 – Webinar 1: Benchmarking

Submit the Enrollment Form to secure your spot.

For more information, contact Key Accounts Energy Solutions Manager Bill Hibbs at 360-992-3340 or [email protected].

Retro-Commissioning

Clark Public Utilities has partnered with Stillwater Energy to offer FREE energy consulting to identify energy-saving opportunities for your site, facility, or campus through our Retro-commissioning (RCx) Pilot Program.

Retro-commissioning focuses on maximizing the potential energy efficiency of a building’s existing operational use and systems.

In addition to identifying low-cost/no-cost and capital projects, the RCx Pilot can help you develop a site plan that includes milestones, schedules and savings goals.

Eligible buildings must be at least 50,000 square feet to ensure adequate savings potential. The building must also have:

• Electric Cooling (preference will be given to buildings that also have electric heating)
• Presence of and access to a modern building automation system (BAS)
• The ability to collect and share relevant building documentation such as design documents, equipment schedules etc.

A proposed building cannot be enrolled in Strategic Energy Management (SEM). If the SEM building is deemed to be better suited for RCx, we will work with you to unenroll the building in SEM and enroll it in RCx in the RCx pilot.

To learn more, visit the program page or contact Key Accounts Energy Solutions Manager Bill Hibbs at 360-992-3340 or [email protected].

2025 E Source Business Customer Satisfaction Study Results

We’re excited to announce that Clark Public Utilities earned the highest score of all participating utilities in the nationwide 2025 E Source Business Customer Satisfaction Study for unmanaged business customer accounts!

Clark ranked #1 overall, with an impressive 8.9 out of 10 for customer satisfaction and perceived value. We also led the nation in the following categories:

• Effective communication during outages
• Ease of doing business
• Commitment to keeping energy costs down

Respondents gave the utility top marks for clear communication during emergencies, resolving issues on first contact, and meeting the unique needs of commercial and industrial customers.

This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of every employee—whether on the front lines or working behind the scenes. We continue to set a high standard for reliability, trust, and exceptional service.

Upcoming Trainings

Clark Public Utilities is a proud sponsor of the 2026 Building Operation Certification program technical webinar series. As a sponsor of the technical webinar series, Clark Public Utilities can offer customers complimentary registrations to the webinars and access to webinar recordings for sessions that have already been offered. The upcoming 2026 sessions are as follows:

• How to Utilize Diagnostic Tools to Identify Energy Savings – April 15, 2026
  Learn how modern diagnostic tools can uncover hidden inefficiencies in building systems and pinpoint actionable energy-saving opportunities. This webinar will walk through practical approaches to utilizing specific diagnostic tools, analyzing data, prioritizing improvements, and validating results.
• Efficient Energy Management with ISO 50001 – May 20, 2026
  This webinar provides an overview of ISO 50001, a global energy management standard, and how it helps organizations establish a structured, continuous approach to energy management. Participants will gain insight into implementation strategies, performance tracking, and aligning energy goals with broader sustainability objectives.
• Retrocommissioning as a Tool for Compliance with Building Performance Standards – September 16, 2026
  Explore how retrocommissioning can improve building performance while supporting compliance with building performance standards. This session will demonstrate how systematic testing and optimization can reduce energy use, improve occupant comfort, and help achieve compliance with performance standards.
• Cybersecurity for Smart Buildings – October 14, 2026
  As buildings become more connected, cybersecurity is critical to protecting operational technology and data. This webinar will cover common cyber risks in smart buildings and practical strategies to safeguard building automation systems and digital infrastructure.

In addition to the webinars, Clark Public Utilities is also offering two $1,000 scholarships to individuals interested in completing a Building Operators Certification level I, level II or Fundamentals of Energy Efficient Building Operations course. Please contact your Key Accounts Manager if you are interested in applying for a scholarship.