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About WECC : Energy efficiency timeline

Energy efficiency timeline

Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation - Important dates in energy history

1977 - Four years after the oil crisis of 1973, President Jimmy Carter delivers his famous energy conservation speech. Wearing a cardigan sweater, he encourages Americans to use less energy. The same year, Carter created the Department of Energy. 1980 - The first US wind farm was established in New Hampshire. 1982 - Solar One, the nation's first commercial solar thermal power plant opens near Daggett, California. 1986 - OPEC announces that oil prices have dropped below $15 a barrel for the first time in many years. A boiler control retrofit field study for Wisconsin Power & Light is completed by WECC. 1990 - WECC completes a multi-family evaluation of a gas conservation loan program for the City of Chicago. 1992 - ENERGY STAR® was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1995 - WECC completes work on the New London Resource Project, a community-based effort in New London, Wisconsin. 1996 - WECC becomes one of the original lenders for the Fannie Mae Energy Improvement Loan program. 2001 - WECC wins contracts for administration of Focus on Energy residential and renewable energy programs. Later, WECC wins the Focus on Energy business programs contract. 2005 - WECC celebrates its 25th Anniversary. 2007 - WECC moves into its new LEEDS certified headquarters.

1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

1980 - Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC) is founded. WECC wins a two-year, four-million-dollar grant from the Department of Labor to conduct a national demonstration project. 1981 - President Reagan ends price controls on crude oil and refined petroleum products. 1983 - OPEC agrees to cut the price of crude oil for the first time in its 23-year history. 1984 - WECC works with the State of Iowa on a low-income weatherization project. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, our Nation's oil supply held on reserve in the event of an emergency, reached the half billion-barrel mark. The planned size is 750 million barrels. 1990 - General Motors introduces an electric vehicle at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. 1991 - WECC contracts with the California PSC marketing the first large policy contract for the non-profit. 1993 - WECC completes an impact evaluation on conservation competition for Madison Gas & Electric. 1996 - Assembly Bill 1890 passed in California setting forth specific tasks to break up the regulated monopoly structure of the electric utility industry. 1998 - Wisconsin's first wind farm began operation in the Town of Glenmore. 2000 - Act 9 is passed in Wisconsin Legislature to fund Public Benefits. 2004 - WECC is honored by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) as a Champion of Energy Efficiency. 2005 - President George Bush signs a comprehensive Energy Bill.