COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Malcolm Verdict, associate director of the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) in the Texas Engineering Experiment Station, has been nominated by Texas Gov. Rick Perry to the Western Governors’ Association Clean and Diversified Energy Act Task Force for Energy Efficiency. The Western Governors’ Association consists of 18 member states. In 2004, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson spearheaded an energy policy for western states that aims to reduce energy use by 20 percent by 2015. The new 25-member energy efficiency task force will meet three times and have six teleconferences between March and November to identify cost-effective programs and technologies that will be readily accepted in the market place to reduce overall energy use and help improve the environment. Verdict is one of two Texans nominated to the task force. "It is an honor and privilege to use my 25 years of energy efficiency expertise at the state and federal level to help Texas and our western neighbors identify realistic means for insuring sustainable, efficient use of energy for future generations," Verdict said. Verdict said the Clean and Diversified Energy policy initiative closely parallels the efforts of the Texas Energy Policy Planning Council created by Gov. Perry last year and chaired by Victor Carrillo, chairman of the Railroad Commission, to insure Texas remains a national leader in energy resources, education and technologies. Verdict joined The Texas A&M University System in 2002 and works closely with federal, state and local governments on energy efficiency and environmental policy issues, representing the ESL and its team of technical experts in energy efficiency technologies. He received the State Energy Managers Award in Texas from the Industrial Energy Technology Conference in 1989 and served as deputy director of the Texas State Energy Office in 1991 where he created the $98 million LoanSTAR energy retrofit loan program, helped craft the first energy demand side management program for regulated utilities in Texas and implemented the state’s first energy-efficient building standards for state buildings. From 1992 to 2001, Verdict served as co-founder and chair of the National Home Energy Rating Council in Washington, D.C. which is composed of states, builders, energy raters, federal agencies and mortgage lenders. In 2001, he served as a representative of the energy efficiency and renewable energy communities on President George W. Bush’s "transition team" for the U.S. Department of Energy. Verdict holds a Bachelor of Science in math and engineering sciences from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master’s degree in business administration from Louisiana Tech University, and a commercial banking certificate from Southern Methodist University Graduate School of Banking. He is also a certified energy manager, holds a commercial pilot license and was a fighter pilot in Vietnam.
