Tom Plant, Director of the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), is responsible for implementing the Governor Bill Ritter’s New Energy Economy. Energy efficiency and conservation take a leading role in the NEE along with renewable energy generation and expansion of the high voltage transmission system. A major effort coming out of the GEO is education and outreach that result in the deployment of energy efficiency (EE) measures at the customer premises. The presentation will describe EE programs and the different channels GEO uses to coordinate with interested utilities in the areas of weatherization, demand side management and performance contracting. Energy efficiency measures taken by utilities closely align with the principles of the New Energy Economy. Tom will describe how the GEO is working with utilities to design new policies at the state and utility levels to achieve expanded deployment of EE and RE.
Tom served as Colorado House District 13 Representative from 1998 through 2006 including two years as Chairman of the House Appropriations committee and one year as Chairman of the Joint Budget Committee. Among the key pieces of legislation he sponsored: Prescription Drug Fairness Act; the Colorado Renewable Energy Act, which later formed the basis for Amendment 37; and energy efficiency tax-incentive legislation. He was named Legislator of the Year by organizations such as the University of Colorado and the Sierra Club of Colorado, was the recipient of Colorado Conservation Voters’ “Green Sense Award for Environmental Leadership” and received the “Champion of the Family Farmer” award from the Rocky Mountain Farmers’ Union.
Tom worked in the Climate Change department of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, DC. At UCS, he explored the causes of global climate change and examined transportation and energy solutions to reduce the emissions contributing to climate change. Prior to UCS, and after graduating from Colorado State University, Tom worked as an exploration Geologist.
Tom has traveled around the world and taught school in Central America. In 1994, Tom and his wife Dawn Dennison established The Acoustic Coffeehouse in Nederland which became known nationally as a community gathering place and for the many famous musicians who played in the small living room setting. Tom & Dawn ran the coffeehouse for seven years, selling the business in 2001. Tom lives in Nederland with his wife Dawn, dog Fergus, and a horse named Chester.