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Energy Policy vs. Energy Plan: Definitions, Commonalities and Differences

Establishing both an energy policy and an energy-improvement plan (aka, an energy plan) is crucial to the successful integration of Strategic Energy Management (SEM) into core business priorities and processes. These interrelated but discrete activities create the required conditions for long-term SEM success, including persistence of savings and continuous energy improvement.

Despite the importance of both an energy policy and an energy plan, the definitions of these respective terms are not uniformly agreed upon across all SEM practitioners. To help guide consistency and cohesion within the SEM community, this document defines these two discrete activities while outlining their differences and the ways they relate to and support one another.

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