Contact: Katie Thompson, Communications Manager, Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance and the Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey, kthompson@keealliance.org, (215) 792-2101.
September 11, 2025
The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance and the Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey Announce their 2025 Energy Efficiency Champions
September 10, 2025 – The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) and the Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey (EEA-NJ), trade associations for Pennsylvania and New Jersey’s energy efficiency industry, announced their 2025 Energy Efficiency Champions today during an awards ceremony at their annual policy conference, “Navigating Change” (https://eeaofnj.org/navigating-change/). These annual awards recognize one KEEA/EEA-NJ member business and one public servant from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, as well as one individual from either state, for their outstanding work advancing energy efficiency policy and creating impact that supports the mission and vision of KEEA and EEA-NJ.
“With rising energy prices in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, reducing energy usage has never been more important, “ said KEEA & EEA-NJ Executive Director Jeaneen Zappa. “But it’s also never faced such a complex operating environment: federal support is retracting while technologies are rapidly advancing, and demand on the grid has never been higher.
“In this dynamic time, we are pleased to recognize our five Energy Efficiency Champions for 2025. These individuals and firms exemplify how energy efficiency policy and the energy efficiency industry can march ahead, grow, and thrive, whether it’s by growing our workforce, advancing job-creating grant programs, or slashing bills for small businesses. All five exemplify KEEA and EEA-NJ’s mission: to champion efficiency as the foundation of a clean, just, and resilient energy economy. Thanks to their leadership—and other firms and policymakers like them—I know that our industry’s future is in good hands and energy efficiency remains a bright opportunity for all.”
Awardees were officially announced at the 4:45 pm Networking Happy Hour held in Somerset, NJ on September 10, Day 1 of the conference.
Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation is KEEA’s 2025 Member Champion
Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation (https://www.pghgateways.org/) is KEEA’s 2025 Member Champion. Founded in 1998 to incubate and accelerate businesses throughout throughout western Pennsylvania, PGC has become a Commonwealth leader in growing energy efficiency businesses and their workforce. In 2025, PGC provided vital support to KEEA’s companion educational nonprofit 501(c)3, the Energy Efficiency Alliance (EEA), for initiatives to help grow a statewide PA Contractor Network and launch a series of free contractor heat pump trainings. They have served as valued contributors to KEEA and EEA projects in prior years as well, hosting and participating in workforce development summits and providing expert insight to KEEA/EEA staff.
“At Pittsburgh Gateways, we are passionate about ‘connecting the dots’ between people, places and communities,” said CEO & President Don Evans. “Bringing more attention to Energy Efficiency through workforce development, business incubation and community engagement is an important context for our work. It is uplifting when we are recognized for those efforts!”
Louie Krak (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) is KEEA’s 2025 Public Servant Champion
Louie Krak, RISE PA Implementation Lead at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, is KEEA’s 2025 Public Servant Champion. RISE PA (Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania) is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization program run by the PA DEP Energy Programs Office and funded through the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) under the Inflation Reduction Act. RISE PA provides grants to qualifying manufacturing facilities to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency improvements and other projects. Mr. Krak’s dedicated work at the PA DEP has helped RISE PA forge essential partnerships and successfully launch the RISE PA application, which closed for Medium- and Large-scale awards earlier this month. This milestone makes RISE PA one of the most advanced CPRG projects in the nation and moves PA manufacturers closer to the energy savings and job creation benefits of decarbonization projects.
“Pennsylvania helped birth industry in the United States, and through RISE PA, we now have an opportunity to lead the industrial decarbonization movement,” said Mr. Krak. “Thank you to all the hands that helped build this first-of-a-kind program for giving us 396 million reasons to keep fighting for a better future.”
Vanguard Building Solutions is EEA-NJ’s 2025 Member Champion
Vanguard Building Solutions (https://vbs-energy.com/) is EEA-NJ’s 2025 Member Champion. From being named #1 in Overall Energy Savings in PSE&G’s 2023 Direct Install Program to their extensive work with the NJ Clean Energy School and Small Business Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program, Vanguard has exemplified on-the-ground efforts to carry out EEA-NJ’s mission. Despite their comparatively newer EEA-NJ membership status, Vanguard has become actively involved on the Membership Committee and has become a consistent and trusted source of input for staff on policy and organizational issues during member calls, listening sessions, and committee meetings. Furthermore, from speaking at EEA-NJ’s Triennium 2 press conference to participating in EEA’s EE Stories program, Vanguard has never hesitated to serve as a public, trustworthy face for initiatives supporting New Jersey’s EE industry.
“At Vanguard Building Solutions, we take great pride in being recognized as best-in-class when it comes to delivering complex, multi-measure energy efficiency projects,” said Greg Santore, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Our approach goes beyond simply implementing upgrades. We focus on creating comprehensive solutions that maximize
value and comfort for our clients. Just as importantly, we understand that every client’s financial situation is different, which is why we work to identify and secure flexible funding, incentives and financing options that make projects both achievable and sustainable. This holistic model ensures that our partners not only meet their energy goals but also strengthen their long-term operational and financial resilience. We are grateful to EEA-NJ, the Board of Public Utilities, and our fellow member organizations for championing energy efficiency in New Jersey and beyond.”
Stacy Ho Richardson (New Jersey Board of Public Utilities) is EEA-NJ’s 2025 Public Servant Champion
Stacy Ho Richardson, Deputy Director of the Clean Energy Division at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), is EEA-NJ’s 2025 Public Servant Champion. Ms. Ho Richardson has persistently advanced policies that grow New Jersey’s energy efficiency industry since she joined the Clean Energy Division in 2020, through the NJBPU’s utility Triennium proceedings, its commercial building benchmarking program, its Whole House Pilot Program, and more. She has become a familiar and trusted figure to many in our industry thanks to her robust support of the stakeholder process, welcoming input from EE businesses and the communities they serve while developing energy policy.
“It is a wonderful honor to receive the 2025 ‘New Jersey Outstanding Public Servant’ award from KEEA and EEA-NJ,” Ms. Ho Richardson said. “I am grateful to have collaborated with so many colleagues and partners to support the transformation of an affordable, inclusive, vibrant, and sustainable energy efficiency economy in New Jersey. If we all continue to listen to and understand each other, I believe that we will succeed in delivering a wide array of benefits for society through energy efficiency and significantly contribute to efforts to sustain life on this planet for future generations.”
Ben Adams (MaGrann Associates) is KEEA & EEA-NJ’s 2025 Outstanding Individual in Energy Efficiency
Ben Adams, Vice President of Strategic Development at MaGrann Associates, is KEEA & EEA-NJ’s 2025 Outstanding Individual. Mr. Adams played a pivotal early role in the development of New Jersey’s Comfort Partners Program, an initiative that’s since gone on to help tens of thousands of income-eligible households save on energy, as well as the New Jersey Residential New Construction Program over the last 25 years. He has engaged with energy efficiency policy affecting New Jersey and the region across his career, most recently spearheading an initiative to help the state’s businesses and policy-makers successfully navigate current uncertainty around the future of Energy Star. Mr. Adams has also been a key supporter and original advocate in the history of the KEEA & EEA-NJ trade associations, serving as both a highly active Board member and a multi-year leader of the Conference Committee.
“It is a true honor to receive this recognition from such a respected organization, one that plays a vital role in advancing energy performance and policy in our region,” said Mr. Adams. “I’m deeply humbled to know that the work I’ve devoted myself to for almost 40 years has contributed in some way to meaningful progress. While we’ve come a long way, the urgency of today’s challenges—and the opportunities—for advancing energy efficiency, ensuring affordability, and addressing climate impact has never been greater. I’m sincerely grateful to my colleagues at MaGrann and KEEA/EEA-NJ, and especially to the next generation who are already leading this mission forward.”
About the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance:
The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance (KEEA) is a trade association representing more than 70 member businesses performing energy efficiency work in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or both. Our mission is to champion efficiency as the foundation of a just and resilient energy economy. KEEA works to grow the market for EE businesses and solutions that reduce baseline energy use in buildings, support grid-interactive “smart” technologies, and drive distributed energy resources to reduce pressure on the grid. KEEA engages with legislative and regulatory bodies to educate decision-makers on the benefits of these policies. KEEA also works in partnership with the Energy Efficiency Alliance, a companion 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to energy efficiency education and outreach.
About the Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey:
The Energy Efficiency Alliance of New Jersey (EEA-NJ) is a trade association representing more than 70 member businesses performing energy efficiency work in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or both. Our mission is to champion efficiency as the foundation of a just and resilient energy economy. EEA-NJ works to grow the market for EE businesses and solutions that reduce baseline energy use in buildings, support grid-interactive “smart” technologies, and drive distributed energy resources to reduce pressure on the grid. EEA-NJ engages with legislative and regulatory bodies to educate decision-makers on the benefits of these policies. EEA-NJ also works in partnership with the Energy Efficiency Alliance, a companion 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to energy efficiency education and outreach.
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