Laura Thomas

Regional Technical Forum Manager

Laura Thomas joined the Council as the RTF Manager in December of 2022. Prior to the Council, she was a Senior Project Manager at Energy Solutions, where she supported regional midstream HVAC and water heating energy efficiency programs in the Pacific Northwest. Her other prior experience includes work as a Program Manager at the Consortium for Energy Efficiency supporting commercial and industrial energy efficiency programs, including foodservice and whole building performance. Laura holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of New England and a master’s degree in International Relations and Environmental Policy from Boston University.

lthomas@nwcouncil.org

503-820-2303

Laura's recent news posts

2024 Annual Report

The report details the RTF’s many accomplishments in 2024. This includes maintaining and updating its measure library; considering new opportunities for potential future measures; and refining the RTF’s tools to further support energy efficiency and demand response work. In looking to continue to develop energy efficiency measures applicable to the region, the RTF spent time in 2024 researching the data center market with a specific lens on identifying energy savings opportunities.

RTF Quarterly Newsletter: Quarter No. 53 July-September 2023

During this quarter, the RTF expanded the measure portfolio by adding the Efficient Portable Electric Spas UES and deactivated some applications in the Residential Lighting UES. These deactivations were celebrated as they represent the significant accomplishments in past residential lighting programs. In addition, the RTF looked ahead to 2024 by discussing the RTF 2024 Work Plan and adding performance metrics to the residential HVAC measures to support programs offering air conditioning and heat pump measures next year. Please reach out to Laura Thomas with any questions.

RTF Quarterly Newsletter: Quarter No. 52 April-June 2023

The RTF spent the second quarter of 2023 primarily focused on considering updates to existing measures, approving changes to nine UES measures. These measures covered a broad range of technologies from pumps to thermostatic shower restriction values to the majority of the RTF's suite of weatherization measures. The RTF also reviewed the completion of the first calibration task of the new Residential Energy Efficiency and Demand Response (REEDR) tool. Two of the non-measure specific subcommittees, the Implementers Group and Small and Rural Utilities, also convened this quarterly to discuss recent RTF decisions and share member priorities.

RTF Quarterly Newsletter: Quarter No. 51 January-March 2023

The RTF had a busy start to 2023 updating three UES measures and one standard protocol, deactivating one UES measure, and adding two new measures to the portfolio. In addition, the RTF reviewed the results of a number of studies and projects completed last year, including explorations on the impacts of low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants on energy efficiency, methodology to value building resilience, and a framework for assessing energy efficiency and demand response wholistically. The RTF also advanced the development and maintenance of its commercial and residential models and completed commercial model alignment for a number of building types. In addition, the RTF launched a new tool for Residential Energy Efficiency and Demand Response (REEDR) to support modeling of residential measures, which in addition to the framework will allow the RTF to expand its analysis of energy efficiency and demand response in updating and developing measures.

RTF Quarterly Newsletter: Quarter No. 50 October-December 2022

With the last quarter of the year, the RTF was able to accomplish a great deal to wrap up 2022. Members adopted updates to two existing UES measures, Green Motor Rewind and Non-Residential Midstream Lighting. The RTF tackled some challenging non measure work, including providing insights on how to advance commercial whole building performance-based approaches and identifying a path forward for considering dual fuel heat pumps. Members provided valuable perspective on important measure updates, particularly Weatherization and Air Source Heat Pumps for single family and manufactured homes, providing additional time to dig into key aspects of these measures for updates in 2023. The voting members concluded the year with a final in person meeting, and welcomed the new RTF Manager, Laura Thomas.

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