Annual Reports

Annual Report 2022

 

From red rock desert canyons and snow-capped peaks to sweeping ranchlands and mighty rivers, the iconic landscapes of the American Southwest are as diverse as they are beautiful. Likewise, the region’s communities vary just as widely — from small rural towns to Native American reservations to major urban centers — while featuring a range of economic underpinnings and covering the full political spectrum.

One of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project’s (SWEEP) strengths is a deep understanding of the diversity of the places where we work. Yes, our role is consistent across the map of the Southwest: to be the trusted technical and policy experts who, in partnership with the people we serve, craft and advocate for clean, equitable, and climate-friendly energy and transportation solutions. But how that work unfolds across the region is tailored to respect and meet the unique needs and contexts of each state and community.

SWEEP brought this strategic, place-based approach to our efforts in 2022. This included recognizing how the year’s many challenges were playing out across the geography of the region — be it the lingering fallout from the COVID pandemic, the dual economic threats of persistent inflation and potential recession along with the ongoing disparities they exacerbated, or the accelerating crisis posed by our heating climate.

Likewise, we took advantage of the diversity of opportunities to advance our mission wherever we could find them, be it in state legislatures, with public utility commission dockets, or in local energy code adoption processes. An overarching focus of the year was, and will continue to be, helping state and local governments harness the unprecedented investment of federal dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to accelerate clean energy and transportation progress in the ways that work best for each location.

And the results? Indefatigable progress as we transition to a new energy and mobility future that is more efficient, clean, and affordable for everyone. Yes, we have a long way still to go to meet this lofty vision. But 2022 represented another year of important progress towards achieving it.

The following pages of SWEEP’s annual report walk through some of the highlights of what this progress looks like in the uniquely wonderful places of the Southwest. Of course, none of it would be possible without the backing of our many partners and supporters — so, thank you.

With gratitude for your support and optimism for the future,

Elise Jones
Executive Director
April 27, 2023