William Saxonis

In a career spanning four decades, Bill Saxonis has been actively engaged in New York’s energy related policies, programs and regulations.  With an MA degree in Political Science from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, and the nation still reeling from the “Energy Crisis,” Bill went to work for the New York State Energy Office as a policy analyst assigned to keeping a watchful eye on the impacts of the emerging national energy initiatives and to contribute to the development of the State’s Energy Master Plan. Bill later went on to direct the Energy Office’s Evaluation Unit tasked to measure the effectiveness of New York’s energy efficiency program portfolio. The unit was soon recognized for the quality and integrity of its analysis and, in a nationwide competition, received a major U.S. Department of Energy grant to study the long-term effectiveness of energy retrofits in multifamily buildings in New York City. 

In 1995, Bill joined the New York State Department of Public Service where he continued to play a leadership role in energy program evaluation and was also involved in many of the more important developments in New York’s approximately 115 year history of utility regulation including retail competition, utility divestiture of power plants, “System Benefits Charge” funding, demand response programs, the Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard and an initiative attracting national attention, “Reforming the Energy Vision” (REV). He has also served as an expert witness in gas and electric rate proceedings and chaired the Statewide Evaluation Advisory Group. 

Bill is the author of numerous published articles on a diverse array of energy related topics and a frequent presenter at national and international energy conferences including events sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, University of Wisconsin, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships and the International Energy Program Evaluation Conference (IEPEC). Bill served for many years on the Board of Directors of the IEPEC, widely recognized as the most prestigious conference of its type. 

Outside of the energy world, Bill is a recognized authority on the life and work of music legend Edward “Duke” Ellington. Bill is a frequent contributor to various jazz-related publications and his annual Duke Ellington radio specials with Bill McCann on SUNY-Albany’s WCDB (90.9 FM) have attracted a worldwide audience. Bill has presented jazz-related research at the Institute for Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, University of Texas (Austin), Georgetown University and international jazz conferences in London, Amsterdam and New York City. 
 

SELECTED ENERGY RELATED PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS 

• “Evaluation of Residential Behavior-based Programs,” webinar facilitated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 2016.  
• “Quality is Job 1,” 2015 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Long Beach CA, 2015. 
• “Gross Is Gross and Net Is Net: Simple, Right?” coauthored with Ralph Prahl, Michael Baker, Richard Ridge, and Nick Hall, in  Journal of Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, Geneva (CH), April 2014. 
• “The Regulatory/Policy Maker/Evaluator Relationship: Let the Sun Shine In!” Panel leader, International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 2013. 
• “The Estimation of Spillover: EM&V’s Orphan Gets a Home” coauthored with Ralph Prahl, Richard Ridge and Nick Hall, International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 2013. 
• “Evaluation Guidelines,” American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Symposium on Market Transformation, Washington DC, 2013. 
• “Evaluation, Past, Present and Future,” New York State Department of Public Service, Albany NY, 2013 
• “Training the Next Generation of Energy Efficiency Evaluators,” coauthored with Ed Vine et.al, Energy Efficiency, May 2013. 
• “Training the Next Generation of Evaluators: A Report from the Field,” coauthored with Ed Vine et.al., International Energy Policy & Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Rome Italy, 2012. 
• “Evaluation and Regulation-Put to the Test,” 2011 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Boston MA, 2011. 
• Presentation on evaluation issues before New York State Public Service Commission at the May 19, 2011 public session.
• “Building Energy Codes: A Design for a More Energy Efficient Future,” American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Symposium on Market Transformation, Washington DC, 2011. 
• “Regulatory Challenges-Measurement and Cost Effectiveness of Lighting Products,” 2011 Northeast Energy Efficiency Summit (Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships), Warwick RI, 2011. 
• “An Overview of Building Codes Policy in New York,” Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, Public Policy Workshop, Marlborough MA, 2010. 
• “Understanding Net Savings.” US Environmental Protection Agency, EM&V Webinar, Washington, DC 2010. 
• “The Net Savings Dilemma,” 2009 Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships Regional EM&V Forum, Annual Meeting, Providence RI, 2009. 
• “A New Evaluation Paradigm for a New Generation of Energy Efficiency Programs,” 2009 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Portland OR, 2009. 
• “Can Process Evaluation Survive Regulatory Review?,” Panelist, 2009 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Portland OR, 2009.  
• “Energy Efficiency in New York,” Energizing the Midwest: Technology, Policy and You, University of Wisconsin, Energy Hub, Madison WI, 2008. 
• “New York’s Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard,” Encore? Energy Efficiency Program Performance, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, Washington DC, 2008. 
• “Energy Program Evaluation: New York’s New Approach,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State Clean Energy- Environmental Technical Forum, Webinar, 2008. 
• “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in New York State: An Update,” Adirondack Park Agency Local Government Conference, Ray Brook NY, 2008. 
• “Energy Efficiency in New York- It Measures Up!,” American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, 4th National Conference on Energy Efficiency as a Resource, Berkeley CA, 2007. 
• “Free Ridership and Spillover: A Regulatory Dilemma,” 2007 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 2007. 
• “New York State’s Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard,” American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) Workshop on Evaluation of Non-energy Benefits, Washington DC, 2007. 
• “Do We Have a Failure to Communicate? -- A Regulatory Perspective,” 2005 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, New York NY, 2005. 
• Implementing Cost Effective Demand Management and Curtailment Programs,” Energy Procurement and Use Conference, New York NY, 2004. 
• "Demand Response Programs: A View from the Empire State," 2003 EUCI Load Management Conference, Denver CO, 2003. 
• "Demand Response Programs: Evaluators to the Rescue," 2003 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Seattle WA, 2003. 
• “Evaluators and Regulators: The Brave New World,” 2001 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Salt Lake City UT, 2001. 
• “Retail Competition in the Electric Industry: A View from the Real World,” 1999 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Denver CO, 1999. 
• “Market Transformation: Real Problems, Real Answers,” 1997 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 1997. 
• “Market Transformation: The Yellow Light is Blinking,” National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Workshop on DSM Market Transformation, Tampa FL, 1996. 
• “After Ten Years of Measuring Free Riders: What Have We Learned? What Challenges Remain?,” 1995 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 1995. 
• “The Multifamily Building Evaluation Project: Do the Savings Persist?,” 1995 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 1995. 
• Invited speaker, Free Rider and Spillover Effects Workshop, hosted by the Wisconsin Center for Demand-Side Research, Green Lake WI, 1994.   
• Invited speaker, Free Rider and Spillover Effects Workshop, hosted by the Wisconsin Center for Demand-Side Research, Green Lake WI, 1994.   
• “A Tool for Better Evaluation: Total Quality Management,” 1993 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 1993. 
• “Free Rider Data: A Valuable Tool for Making DSM Programs Work Better,” Implementation of Demand-side Management Conference, sponsored by Philadelphia Electric Company, Philadelphia PA, 1992. 
• “Measuring Free Riders: Does the Economic Climate Make a Difference?,” 1991 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 1991. 
• “Free Riders and Other Factors that Affect Net Programs Impacts” in the Handbook of Evaluation of Utility DSM Programs, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN, 1991.  
• Invited speaker, New York State Demand-Side Management Program Evaluation Workshop sponsored by New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, Saratoga NY, 1991. 
• Invited speaker, 1989 Energy Program Manager’s National Conference sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Indianapolis IN, 1989.  
• “Program Evaluation of the New York State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Demonstration Program: The Free Rider Factor,” 1989 International Energy Program Evaluation Conference Proceedings, Chicago IL, 1989.