(VANCOUVER, WA) -- The Northwest Public Power
Association’s 2019 Northwest Communications & Energy Innovations Conference
(NIC) Planning Committee has selected Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s
Eugene Rosolie as this year’s recipient of the Jim Brands Award for his lifetime
commitment to the public power industry and remarkable work in the area of energy
efficiency. The award was presented to Rosolie on Tuesday, September 17, at the
NIC awards banquet at the Tulalip Resort in Washington.
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2019 Jim Brands Award recipient Eugene Rosolie
(center) with ESG’s Mark Gosvener and Clatskanie
PUD’s Sarah Johnson.
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Rosolie has over 20 years in energy efficiency
and the utility industry, having started his career at PNGC Power. He has been
a passionate advocate for energy efficiency and environmental awareness
throughout his career.
“He was very helpful, and taught me a
lot about how to run programs and to speak up for ourselves at BPA meetings,”
said Clatskanie PUD Customer Relations & Services Manager Sarah Johnson. “I
know he and Jim Brands had a great mutual respect for each other. I witnessed many
in depth energy efficiency conversations between Eugene and Jim. I feel that
Jim would be proud to have Eugene as a recipient of this special award we have
named in his honor.”
Rosolie worked for PNGC Power as the
senior economist/conservation manager for 10 years. During his time there, he
represented the PNGC utilities at regional meetings, and championed the
conservation committee’s ideas and feedback. After his time at PNGC, Rosolie served
four years at Cowlitz PUD as the energy efficiency services manager where he
was able to run programs and have direct influence on a local utility’s
conservation goals. He was also responsible for conceptualizing the process of
the online EE “project tracker” application and getting management approval to
proceed with the development for Cowlitz PUD.
In July 2014, Rosolie became the
stakeholder relations manager for NEEA. He currently represents NEEA and
provides support to utilities in the Northwest. Rosolie takes an active role in
the Efficiency Exchange each year and is a regular presenter for the Northwest
Regional Group.
This annual award honors Jim Brands and
his 35-year career in the electric utility and energy efficiency industries.
Brands, a previous employee of NWPPA and longtime friend to the public power
industry, created Efficiency Services Group with Mark Gosvener and Ted Haskell in
2005. He passed away in 2014 from cancer at the age of 61.
Current or former employees of NWPPA
member utilities are eligible to receive this award. The NIC Planning Committee
selects recipients based on accomplishments through at least 10 years of energy
efficiency experience, at least 20 years of service to the industry, and promotion
of public power through efforts such as community service.
Idaho Falls Power’s Van Ashton, Ravalli
Electric Cooperative’s Jim Maunder, and Clearwater Power Company’s Bob Pierce
were the first recipients of the award in 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively.
