AECP was formed in 1992 as a volunteer resource whose membership consisted of Weatherization programs from around the state of Virginia, to fill voids in services caused by a dramatic reduction in Virginia Weatherization State administrative staff. For the next several years, AECP focused on three main areas of endeavor – Training, Education, and Funding.
AECP sponsored, developed, and implemented over 25 statewide weatherization trainings covering all areas of energy conservation skills and helped bring about a more professional and standardized approach to weatherization applications.
AECP helped educate legislators, housing programs, energy professionals, and private contractors on low-income consumer energy issues through its testimony, presentations, and advocacy of energy conservation before such groups as the Virginia Housing Study Commission, the Energy Preparedness Sub-committee, the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission, the Governor’s Housing Conference, the National Affordable Comfort conference, the Virginia Legislative Task Force on Electric Restructuring, and national Department of Energy conferences. AECP also produced and directed an 18-minute video entitled “The Virginia Weatherization Story”, which has been used nationally to educate people about the structure and success of the Weatherization program.
In the mid-nineties, AECP worked diligently with the Virginia General Assembly to produce legislation requiring 15% of all Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds allocated to the state of Virginia to be transferred to the Virginia Weatherization Assistance Program. This legislation has resulted in significant additional funding (millions of dollars annually) for weatherization services and created an opportunity for thousands of additional homes to be weatherized. AECP was also responsible for creating a line item in the State budget, which brought hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Weatherization program. These efforts have translated into approximately an additional $330M in WAP funding, enabling roughly 31,000 MORE homes to be served with weatherization.
In 1995, AECP became a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association and corporation registered in the State of Virginia.
Beginning in 1998, AECP has been an active advocate for low-income consumers in the deregulation of the electric utility industry in Virginia and has submitted three proposals for legislative consideration.
In 1999, AECP made the decision to expand its efforts to “provide, promote, and advocate energy conservation” by hiring a full-time executive director and opening an office in Christiansburg, Virginia. The mission was to continue to work with the Weatherization program, but also broaden its efforts in energy conservation education and advocacy. This included educating and promoting topics such as renewable energy, green building, water conservation, and sustainability in general.
In 2001, AECP produced and directed a 10-minute video entitled “Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Killer,” which has been sold and distributed all over the United States.
AECP has continued to work with the State Weatherization office and the Virginia Weatherization network in conducting workshops and seminars geared towards improving the program’s service delivery capability, professional Weatherization certifications, and consistent best practices within the program.
In 2004, AECP moved its office from Christiansburg to the Jacksonville Center in Floyd, VA.
At the same time, AECP, in partnership with the Jacksonville Center and Architectural Alternatives, began to develop a Sustainable Living Education Center (SLEC). The purpose of SLEC is to provide exhibits, displays, and working systems to the general public that highlight the importance of energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green building, and sustainability. SLEC had a wind generator, solar panels, rainwater collection system, straw bale structure, and a two-room education area with several exhibits and displays.
In 2010, AECP produced and directed a 10-minute video entitled “The Weatherization Assistance Program: A Program That Works,” which has been distributed and sold around the country.
AECP conducted fifteen annual Green Living and Energy Expos, which have been efforts to educate the general public about the importance of living more sustainable lifestyles. The first Expo was held in 2000 at Virginia Tech, and the most recent was held at the Roanoke Civic Center. The 15th annual event was our last Expo.
In January of 2015, AECP officially downsized the organization due to a desire to focus more specifically on its roots and foundational efforts, which are to support and promote the Virginia Weatherization Assistance Program. The AECP office was moved from the Jacksonville Center to the home of the Executive Director. This downsizing also decreased AECP’s role as an advocate and practitioner of renewable energy and green building, which also required ending AECP’s management and implementation of the Green Living and Energy Expo and the SLEC.
Later in 2015, AECP, along with many advocacy partners, supported the advancement of utility-sponsored weatherization programs. This has resulted in a 25x increase in utility funding from 2015 levels, estimated to have served another 25,000 MORE households than would have been possible through federal funds alone.
AECP successfully advocated for the establishment of the Weatherization Deferral Repair (WDR) program, funded through HIEE. Since then, roughly $30M has been spent to prepare more than 2,300 households for weatherization services and counting, preventing nearly 1 in 5 households that apply for weatherization from being deferred due to home repair needs.
In July 2024, AECP’s long-serving steward and Executive Director, Billy Weitzenfeld, officially retired, leaving a permanent mark on Virginia’s WAP network and a legacy of supporting tens of thousands of more income-qualifying and disadvantaged Virginians receive critical, life-changing weatherization and home repair services.
In December of 2025, AECP expanded its membership to include private weatherization and trade contractors, advocacy organizations, program implementers, and weatherization funders, all with a vested interest in supporting and expanding the Virginia WAP network’s collective mission of enhancing energy affordability in Virginia.
AECP continues to focus its efforts on advocacy, hosting annual AECP Peer Exchanges, maintaining a monthly newsletter, keeping the Virginia weatherization network apprised of relevant legislative activity, effectively partnering with the Virginia Weatherization program’s state administrative office – Virginia’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), serving as a referral and convening service for the state network, holding annual member meetings, and marketing and advocating for the Weatherization Assistance Program.
