Holistic Energy Transformation: An Efficiency First Strategy to Stretch Maintenance Dollars and Combat Climate Impacts with DGS

Date: September 16, 2026
Time: 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM
Ballroom G

State agencies across California are reducing energy use, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and addressing long standing deferred maintenance by leveraging the Department of General Services’ Energy Savings Program. Through performance contracting with pre qualified Energy Service Companies (ESCOs), agencies can identify, design, and implement energy efficient and electrification upgrades—such as lighting, HVAC, boilers, chillers, and building management systems—with funding strategies that stretch the maintenance budget and adapt buildings to climate change. These projects are funded through guaranteed utility savings, enabling agencies to modernize aging infrastructure while lowering operational expenses. Given the constraints of maintenance budgets, agencies are also stretching these funds by prioritizing upgrades that enhance building resilience and adaptability to climate change impacts, ensuring long term sustainability and operational continuity. A recently implemented project featured as a case study, demonstrating real world results, lessons learned, and the value of performance contracting as a scalable pathway to sustainable facility transformation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Attendees will learn:

• The DGS performance contracting process
• Financing options
• Benefits of using packaging decarbonization, demand management, solar photovoltaic, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• Leveraging maintenance budgets to enable larger projects

Speakers:
Vivek Mittal, Manager, Energy Efficiency Programs, California Department of General Services
Courtney Bonas, Project Director, State of CA DGS Office of Sustainability
Derek Longacre, Sustainable Facilities and Operations Program Manager, California Department of Transportation

Vivek Mittal is Manager of the Energy Efficiency Program at DGS Office of Sustainability, bringing more than 30 years of experience in sustainability and high‑performance building solutions. Vivek’s background spans Energy Services, Digital Buildings, Facilities Commissioning, Performance Contracting, Facilities Management, and turnkey project implementation.
Throughout his career in industry and public-sector work, Vivek has led the development and delivery of large, complex projects for state and local government facilities, focusing on comprehensive strategies that improve building performance, reduce energy use, and modernize infrastructure.
At DGS, Vivek oversees the development and implementation of integrated energy efficiency projects that help state agencies achieve their sustainability and energy‑reduction goals. His work centers on delivering cost‑effective, scalable solutions that support statewide decarbonization and long‑term operational resilience.

Derek Longacre is the Sustainable Facilities and Operations Program Manager at the California Dept. of Transportation (Caltrans), where he develops policies and strategies aimed at improving Caltrans resource efficiency and lowering greenhouse gas emissions from agency operations.

With 17 years of experience in the built environment, Courtney Bonas is a Project Director for the DGS Office of Sustainability, managing existing building retrofit projects to support energy performance goals. Her career began with an ESCO where she monitored and reported on customers’ building energy consumption. Courtney also coordinated a team at the California Energy Commission responsible for increasing the compliance and enforcement of the Building Energy Efficiency Standards (BEES) throughout California through active engagement with other state agencies, utilities, building departments, and builders. Courtney is responsible for providing decarbonization expertise and reviewing building specifications for functional capabilities, LEED, and energy code compliance.