Previous Awardees by Year

2025

Innovation: Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative

Marketing: Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Energy Efficiency Program

Champion: Building Energy Exchange St. Louis

Champion: Quinn Parker

Impact: Michigan Farm Energy Program

Impact: SEEL Grant Writing Program

Education: Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program

2024

Chair's Award: Kristol W. Simms

Champion: City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability WarmUp Cincy Program

Leadership: Angela Tovar, City of Chicago

Marketing: Consumers Energy

Innovation: ComEd Energy Efficiency Electrification Portfolio Development

Impact: ComEd Expanded Low Income Health and Safety Investment

Education: Xcel Energy, Center for Energy and Environment and CenterPoint Energy

2023

Marketing: Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Program & Peoria Guild of Black Artists Partnership

Innovation: ComEd Multi-Family Energy Savings Program

Innovation: DTE Equity Insights and Inclusion Study

Impact: The Chicago Smart Lighting Program

Education: ComEd Energy Efficiency Service Provider (EESP) Incubator Program

Champion: Kristol Simms

Leadership: Angie Ostaszewski, MBA, Ameren Illinois

Leadership: Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Program & Senior Services Plus

Leadership: Rudolph Chahine, Consumers Energy

Chair's Award: Shawn White

2022

Leadership: Minnesota State Senator Jason Rarick and Minnesota State Representative Zack Stephenson

Leadership: Carla Walker-Miller, Founder and CEO, Walker-Miller Energy Services

Marketing: Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program

Innovation: International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (ICAST)

Impact: Peoples Gas Public Sector Energy Efficiency Program

Impact: Consumers Energy

Education: Focus on Energy

Education: DTE Energy & Consumers Energy New Home Construction Programs

2021

Chair's Award: Nick Mark

Leadership: Ohio Environmental Council

Leadership: Andy Johnson and the Winneshiek Energy District

Innovation: ComEd Energy Efficiency Program

Innovation: City of Minneapolis Home Energy Disclosure

Impact: Greenlite Lighting Corporation USA

Impact: DTE Energy Efficiency Assistance (EEA) Program

Marketing: Focus On Energy

Education: Ameren Illinois Energy Efficiency Program

2020

Chair's Award: James J. Jerozal Jr., Nicor Gas

Leadership: Senator Megan Hunt, Nebraska State Legislature

Marketing: Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program, Unexpected Love Story Campaign

Innovation: Virtual Commissioning™ Program

Innovation: Focus on Energy Disaster Relief Offerings

Impact: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Light Up Avondale Program

Education: School Energy Manager Project (SEMP), Kentucky School Boards Association

2019

Chair's Award: Lauren Casentini

Leadership: Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Leadership: Richard Mark

Marketing: Focus on Energy’s Wisconsin Is In Campaign

Innovation: Focus on Energy’s Strategic Energy Management (SEM) Initiative

Impact: Minnesota Army National Guard

Education: Ameren Illinois

2018

Chair's Award: Jon Williams

Leadership: Governor Rick Snyder

Leadership: Louis James, SEEL, LLC

Marketing: Vectren Corporation

Marketing: Ameren Illinois

Innovation: Focus on Energy and Madison Gas and Electric (MGE)

Innovation: ComEd

Impact: ComEd

Impact: Ameren Illinois

Education: National Energy Foundation

2017

Leadership: Kim Winslow

Chair's Award: Jeanine Penticoff

Leadership: George Malek

Chair's Award: Llona C. Weiss

Impact: Michigan Saves

Impact: Focus on Energy

Innovation: AEP Ohio

Marketing: Nicor Gas

Innovation: Iowa Economic Development Authority

Education: Xcel Energy

2016

Education: Columbia Water & Light

Education: Alliant Energy

Marketing: Consumers Energy

Innovation: AEP Ohio

Impact: MidAmerican Energy

Impact: ComEd

Leadership: Rick Sites, Ohio Hospital Association

Chair's Award: Randy Gunn

2015

Marketing: Nicor Gas

Leadership: Jim Jerozal

Impact: Retrofit Chicago

Leadership: Carol Stemrich

Impact: Illinois Public Housing Authority

Innovation: DTE Energy

Innovation: AEP Ohio

Education: Nicor Gas

Chair's Award: Tim Melloch

2014

Chair's Award: Alecia Ward, Wendy Jaehn, and Jay Wrobel

Marketing: Ameren Illinois ActOnEnergy Business Program

Leadership: Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President

Innovation: Focus On Energy

Impact: Columbia Gas of Ohio

Impact: ComEd and Nicor Gas New Construction Service

Education: Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP)

Education: AEP Ohio

2013

Impact: Xcel Energy

Education: Xcel Energy, BOMA Greater Minneapolis, and BOMA St. Paul

Innovation: Ohio Development Services Agency

Marketing: Nicor Gas

Leadership: Cheryl Roberto

Chair's Award: Sam Sirkin

Education: AEP Ohio

2012

Marketing: AEP Ohio

Marketing: DTE Energy

Leadership: Jennifer Easler, Iowa Office of Consumers’ Advocate

Innovation: Energy Innovation Corridor (Xcel Energy & Centerpoint Energy)

Innovation: Ohio Hospital Association

Impact: Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives

Education: Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center (ATEEC)

Chair's Award: Commonweath Edison

2011

Marketing: Prairie Power

Marketing: Xcel Energy

Leadership: Commissioner Monica Martinez

Innovation: Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Innovation: DTE Energy

Impact: Commonwealth Edison

Education: Energy Center of Wisconsin

Chair's Award: David Eijadi, The Weidt Group

2010

Marketing: R.L Just & associates, p.c. Architect

Marketing: Interstate Power & Light Company, an Alliant Energy Company

Leadership: Tom Casten, Recycled Energy Development

Leadership: Janine Migden-Ostrander, Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Innovation: Ameren Illinois Utilities, LED Refrigerated Case Project

Innovation: Ameren Illinois Utilities, Watts Solution Program

Impact: Interstate Power & Light Company, an Alliant Energy Company

Education: Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC)

Education: Commonwealth Edison and US EPA ENERGY STAR Change the World

Education: Commonwealth Edison and Chicago Urban League

Chair's Award: Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO)

2009

Marketing: Wisconsin Focus on Energy

Leadership: Governor Jim Doyle, Wisconsin

Innovation: Keyser Visual, Inc. and Florida Plastics International, Inc.

Impact: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.

Education: Interstate Power & Light Company

Chair's Award: Janet Streff

2008

Marketing: Rochester Public Utilities

Leadership: City of Ann Arbor, Michigan

Leadership: State of Illinois

Leadership: State of Minnesota

Innovation: George Bialecki

Impact: MiraCit Development Corporation

Education: Schools for Energy Efficiency

Chair's Award: Sara Ward

2006

Marketing: MidAmerican Energy

Leadership: Robert L. Cowles, Wisconsin State Senate

Leadership: Diane Munns, Iowa Utilities Board

Innovation: The Cleveland Green Building Coalition

Innovation: District Energy St. Paul

Impact: Alliant Energy-Wisconsin Power and Light Co.

Education: Missouri Botanical Garden's EarthWays Center

Chair's Award: Mary O'Toole

2005

Marketing: Interstate Power & Light Co.

Leadership: Governor Jennifer Granholm, State of Michigan

Innovation: Center for Technology Transfer, Inc.

Impact: MidAmerican Design Assistance

Education: University of Illinois Energy Resources Center

Chair's Award: David Leishman, Applied Proactive Technologies, Inc.

2004

Leadership: Governor Tim Pawlenty, State of Minnesota

Innovation: Community Energy Cooperative's Energy-Smart Pricing Plan

Impact: The Compressed Air Challenge

Education: Wisconsin Focus on Energy Residential Programs

Chair's Award: Val Jensen, ICF Consulting

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