The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance has named Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Graham Parker winner of its Tom Eckman Leadership in Energy Efficiency Award for Lifetime Achievement.  The award recognizes Parker for a career spanning more than 40 years where he advocated for and advanced the cause of energy efficiency in the Northwest and beyond.

The award was presented to Parker today at NEEA's Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony in Portland.

While at PNNL, Parker focused much of his research on the energy performance of buildings and equipment.  He worked with dozens of domestic and international agencies and organizations to develop and promote sound energy policies, improve building energy and water efficiency, and to deploy new and emerging technologies.  He retired from PNNL earlier this year and serves as an emeritus staff member at the Richland laboratory.

Parker earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University in 1973.  He is a Fellow of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and a member of the AEE Hall of Fame.  He is a Certified Energy Manager, Certified Energy Auditor and Certified Demand Side Management Professional.  Parker is also a member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Expert Working Group on Energy Efficiency, serves on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Regional Technical Forum, and is an officer for the Utility Energy Forum.

NEEA's annual Energy Efficiency Awards recognize outstanding achievement in collaboration, innovative solutions and achievement that have significantly contributed to greater energy efficiency in the Northwest.  The regional energy efficiency community participates in nominations, and each year select panel of Northwest energy and utility leaders select the winners.

Speaking of Parker and the other winners, NEEA Executive Director Susan E. Stratton said "We are fortunate to have such experienced leadership that brings innovation and collaboration to our alliance. Their dedication makes a huge contribution to energy efficiency in the Northwest.  As we celebrate twenty years of working an as alliance, these are exactly the types of leaders who will move our region forward."

Check NEEA's full news release on today's awards ceremony.

About NEEA: The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is an alliance of more than 140 utilities and energy efficiency organizations working on behalf of more than 13 million energy consumers. NEEA is dedicated to accelerating both electric and gas energy efficiency, leveraging its regional partnerships to advance the adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. Since 1997, NEEA and its partners have saved enough energy to power more than 900,000 homes each year. As the second-largest resource in the Northwest, energy efficiency can offset most of our new demand for energy, saving money and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live.