Energy Efficiency on an International Scale
The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance was very honored to speak with a delegation from Iraq as part of the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
Hosted locally by the Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council, the delegation toured a variety of regional organizations focused on different elements of sustainability. In addition to spending time with the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (Energy Alliance), other stops included Duke Energy, the City of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Police Department, the University of Cincinnati, Urban Greens Cincinnati, and Findlay Market.
Andy Holzhauser, Energy Alliance CEO, and Chris Meyer, Energy Alliance Energy Program Director, discussed the big picture of energy efficiency and renewable energy as a tool for transformative economic development. Andy and Chris then presented an overview of the Energy Alliance, our programs, and our impact on the region. The session concluded with a number of questions from the visitors about how to further energy efficiency efforts in their country.
“It’s a profound example of how our work generates a local impact but is part of global market. There isn’t a country in the world that doesn’t want to advance its own energy independence and advancing the investment in clean energy is a critical tool to achieve that outcome.” – Andy Holzhauser
The Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council and the International Visitor Leadership Program
The Greater Cincinnati World Affairs Council (GCWAC) is an organization whose mission is to be the “leader in preparing the region and its citizens, individually and collectively, to thrive in the 21st century global environment by promoting international understanding, education, engagement, and cooperation.” GCWAC is the local host organization for the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
The IVLP was developed to help “current and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts.” An overview of its 75-year history is summarized in this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOqGE-Hbf3g
The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance
The Energy Alliance is a public-private partnership, nonprofit economic development agency dedicated to helping Greater Cincinnati Communities reduce their energy cost. We believe that energy efficiency and renewable energy contributes to significant financial savings for building owners, improves air quality, creates more livable spaces, and builds a green work force throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. For more information, visit the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance’s website.
Submitted By: Josh Moore of the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance
