Rebuild America

Rebuild America
Name	Rebuild America
Formation	1993
Type	Nonprofit coalition
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Leader title	Executive Director
Parent organization	Department of Energy (program affiliation)

Rebuild America

Rebuild America was a United States national program and nonprofit coalition focused on improving energy efficiency and retrofit projects for public buildings, municipal facilities, schools, and community infrastructure. It operated as a partnership model linking federal agencies, state and local governments, utilities, building owners, and nonprofit organizations to plan and implement energy-savings measures. The initiative emphasized technical assistance, peer networks, financing strategies, and demonstration projects to accelerate adoption of efficient technologies and practices.

Overview

Rebuild America sought to reduce energy consumption and operating costs in public-sector buildings by promoting audits, retrofits, and workforce training. Participants included municipal governments such as City of Boston, Los Angeles County, and Chicago, educational institutions like University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and Iowa State University, and utilities including Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Consolidated Edison, and Duke Energy. The program coordinated with federal entities such as the United States Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the General Services Administration, as well as philanthropy from organizations like the Kresge Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. Rebuild America leveraged technical protocols from standards bodies including ASHRAE, Underwriters Laboratories, and International Code Council.

History and Origins

Rebuild America emerged in the early 1990s amid policy debates following the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and the energy policy shifts of the Clinton administration. Its origins trace to initiatives within the United States Department of Energy and collaborations with nonfederal partners such as the Alliance to Save Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Early demonstrations referenced retrofit work in model projects like the Empire State Building energy retrofit and local pilot programs in Seattle and Minneapolis. Stakeholders included labor organizations such as the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations and industry groups like the National Electrical Contractors Association. The program evolved alongside complementary federal programs including Energy Star, the Weatherization Assistance Program, and the Federal Energy Management Program.

Programs and Initiatives

Rebuild America organized multiple program strands: technical assistance teams, community-based partnerships, financing pilots, and public outreach campaigns. Technical assistance collaborated with laboratories such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and employed benchmarking tools akin to Energy Star Portfolio Manager and protocols from ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Community partnerships worked with municipal networks like the U.S. Conference of Mayors and state energy offices in California Energy Commission and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Financing initiatives experimented with mechanisms resembling energy savings performance contracts, municipal bond issuances comparable to those of New York City, and on-bill financing pilots linked to utilities such as Southern California Edison. Workforce development tied to vocational programs at institutions like Community College of Philadelphia and union apprenticeship programs such as those of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Funding and Administration

Administration combined federal funding streams, philanthropic grants, and cost-share contributions from local governments and utilities. Key federal oversight and grant administration involved the United States Department of Energy and program offices within it, while nonprofit program management included entities similar to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and regional organizations such as the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships. Funding models drew on precedents set by programs like the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for larger retrofit funding and by municipal bonding practices used by cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco. Grant recipients were expected to meet reporting standards comparable to those of the Government Accountability Office and to coordinate with state procurement rules such as those in State of Texas and Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Impact and Outcomes

Rebuild America influenced measurable reductions in energy use and operating expense at participating facilities and accelerated deployment of technologies like high-efficiency HVAC, LED lighting, and building automation systems. Case studies referenced retrofits that mirrored work at Princeton University and University of Michigan, demonstrating energy savings, enhanced indoor environmental quality, and extended building lifecycles. The program also contributed to workforce training outcomes aligning with Energy Department apprenticeship initiatives and supported market development for vendors including Siemens, Johnson Controls, and General Electric. Evaluation frameworks drew on metrics used by National Academy of Sciences studies and program audits by the Office of Inspector General (United States Department of Energy).

Criticism and Controversies

Critics raised concerns about administrative complexity, variable project performance, and the sufficiency of verification protocols. Debates echoed controversies seen in programs assessed by the Government Accountability Office and in audits of ARRA-funded projects regarding transparency, cost-effectiveness, and job-count methodologies. Environmental justice advocates compared outcomes to concerns raised in cases involving Flint, Michigan and urban infrastructure inequities, arguing that benefits were unevenly distributed. Industry stakeholders sometimes contested procurement rules with litigation trends similar to those in disputes involving Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rulings. Questions were also raised about the long-term sustainability of financing mechanisms modeled on municipal bonds after market disruptions such as the 2008 financial crisis.

Legacy and Influence on Policy

Rebuild America contributed to adoption of best practices later incorporated into federal and state programs, influencing frameworks used by the Department of Energy Better Buildings Initiative, the Energy Star portfolio approach, and state-level energy efficiency resource standards like those in Vermont and California. Its partnership model informed program designs at philanthropic collaboratives such as the RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute) and policy dialogues at forums like the World Economic Forum and National Governors Association. Elements of its financing pilots presaged broader use of performance contracting and on-bill financing in municipal programs across United States. The program’s legacy persists in technical standards, workforce training curricula, and municipal retrofit strategies adopted by cities including Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas.

Category:Energy conservation in the United States