The AEM Movement
A Real-World Education. Real Energy Savings. Real Community Impact.
The AEM Movement
A Real-World Education. Real Energy Savings. Real Community Impact.
The AEM Movement is where today’s youth become tomorrow’s energy leaders—by working inside real buildings, with real professionals, solving real problems.
In Wenatchee, Washington, the AEM Movement is transforming classrooms into energy command centers, and students into paid interns who are helping reduce energy costs across their entire community.
The AEM Movement is where today’s youth become tomorrow’s energy leaders—by working inside real buildings, with real professionals, solving real problems.
In Wenatchee, Washington, the AEM Movement is transforming classrooms into energy command centers, and students into paid interns who are helping reduce energy costs across their entire community.
The Wenatchee Model: A Blueprint for the Future
Wenatchee has become a national model for what happens when students, schools, and cities unite around energy innovation.
…students are trained as AEM Champions, embedded into live energy teams, and paid as interns to analyze and optimize building energy use.
Through a partnership between:
We are reducing our monthly energy cost by over 40% with no capital investment, and our building is now a real-world classroom. This is a win for NCESD, our students, Chelan County PUD, and our community.
— Pete Phillips, Executive Director of Technology, NCESD
What Students Do
High school and college interns are trained in Advanced Energy Management (AEM) using real-time data from Chelan PUD’s new automatic metering system. With the AEM Console, they:
Analyze utility bills and 15-minute interval data
Identify energy waste during unoccupied hours
Create actionable energy reports
Recommend no-cost, low-cost operational changes
Present findings to school districts, retail stores, and municipalities
Work alongside building operators and technicians
This isn’t theory. These are measurable results in the real world.
The Results in Wenatchee
52% energy cost reduction at Wenatchee High School
40% + energy cost reduction for NCESD with no capital investment
Local buildings turned into real-world classrooms
Early compliance with Washington’s Clean Buildings Standard
Recognition as Future Technology Leaders of the Year
Community-wide CO₂ reduction and improved energy literacy
Stronger relationships between local utilities, schools, and businesses
Wenatchee’s AEM Movement is solving multiple challenges at once:
Energy Waste → Reduced
Compliance Risk → Eliminated
Student Readiness → Elevated
Electric Rates → Preserved
Community Engagement → Strengthened
Plus, as Chelan PUD helps fund the program, the majority of the cost is covered, making it easy for new buildings to join.
Why This Matters:
AEM Movement = Scalable, Sustainable, and Replicable
The Wenatchee pilot has proven that the AEM Movement is:
Cost-effective
Student-powered
Utility-backed
Compliant with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard
Designed for any commercial building over 20,000 sq. ft.