The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy recently awarded Todd Amundson a Champions of Energy Efficiency in Industry Award in the lifetime achievement category for his significant contributions to energy efficiency.

The ACEEE is a well-known national nonprofit organization, founded in 1980, that is recognized for developing transformative EE policies rooted in a vision of an equitable, clean energy future.

Amundson’s work on EE spans 20-plus years of providing excellent customer service, creating programs and conducting equitable Strategic Energy Management program outreach. He was part of the team that created BPA’s Energy Smart Industrial program, which for over a decade, has reduced costs and increased energy savings for more than 1,400 industrial plants across the region.

The ACEEE award also recognizes Amundson’s eye for innovation. He spearheaded the design and implementation of BPA’s energy management pilot and then consistently advocated for its adoption as a core program component. He led the development of BPA’s protocols for the Measurement and Verification of Energy Savings, which has made him a national leader on the subject. His work has provided a consistent framework for the verification of hundreds of average annual megawatts of energy savings.

“Todd has been a consistent, enthusiastic and valuable supporter of various national level programs and priorities for the U.S. Department of Energy,” said Sandy Glatt, a retired project manager for DOE. “Without fail, Todd would raise his hand and put in the time and effort to provide us the information we needed. In many instances, this involved extensive hours of document and or data review. Todd always provided thoughtful and thorough feedback.”

Amundson has a passion for mentoring the next generation of energy engineers, providing annual training to students at the University of Washington’s Pulp and Paper Foundation’s Bioscience and Engineering Intern program. He also serves as an instructor for the Association of Energy Engineer’s Certified Measurement and Verification Professional program, leading over 50 students to certification.

“Todd exemplifies the best traits of a public servant – an advocate, a volunteer and a mentor who passes it along,” said Suzanne Cooper, senior vice president of BPA’s Power Services. “His innovative and can-do spirit has advanced BPA’s efforts in energy efficiency, helping us to meet our goals and commitments to the entire region.”