MEM of the Year 2025

2025’s Municipal Energy Manager (MEM) of the Year is Torrie Santucci!

All of the MEMs actively participating in the MEM program are working hard and effecting change in communities across Alberta, so it was no simple task to choose one to honour. To award the 2025 MEM of the Year, we created a rubric and scored each MEM on their impact in areas like project results, engagement activities, administration and planning, and more. While there was some qualitative analysis, a lot of the evaluation came down to hard numbers, like the percent reduction in energy use compared to baseline and absolute emissions reduction per quarter.

Some of Torrie’s successes include significant reductions in annual GHG emissions and securing funding for several implementation projects, which he’s using for energy efficiency upgrades like lighting retrofits, weatherstripping improvements, furnace upgrades, and domestic hot water tank updates, each contributing to long term savings.

Torrie is now in his second year as Devon’s MEM, integrating energy management into the Town’s plans, operations, and services. “Torrie is an essential part of our overall energy management program,” says Mark Hussey, General Manager, Planning and Operations at the Town of Devon. “The Town is proud of what Torrie has accomplished here.”

We took a moment in our January 2026 MEM Education Session to present the honour to Torrie and caught up with him later. Here’s Torrie in his own words.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of building a strong foundation for long-term energy management in a small municipality that didn’t previously have dedicated capacity in this area. Over the past year and a half, we’ve developed a coordinated approach to energy management that incorporates elaborate facility benchmarking and audit reporting to guide decision making and prioritize project implementation within an Energy Management Plan.

Most importantly, we now have an established built capacity within a cross-departmental team, positioning the Town for long-term success well beyond my time in the MEM role.

What overall impacts do you think this work will achieve?

Beyond emissions reductions and cost savings, I think the biggest impact is cultural.

Staff are more aware of how their daily decisions affect energy use, and there’s greater confidence in bringing forward energy-related ideas. Our sense of awareness towards energy efficiency is stronger than it was and I regularly answer questions from staff about opportunities for improvement, both in and out of the workplace.

Initiatives like our new Home Energy Efficiency Kit Rental Program at the Devon Public Library help extend energy literacy to the public domain and make small energy improvements that have a big impact more accessible and equitable.

This is all in an effort to normalize energy management as a core municipal responsibility.

When you think back on the projects you’ve completed, and think about the town as a whole, what’s the difference that you see in Devon now?

I think awareness of energy efficiency progress and recognition of these wins, whether big or small, with our staff, public, and elected officials has improved. After completing an updated greenhouse gas emissions inventory, we now have a clearer picture of where our energy and emissions are coming from and which facilities contribute most. Future retrofit decisions are now informed by our audit reports and our long-term capital budget planning processes are guided by actions that prioritize the best return.

There is also greater confidence, in general, when considering energy-related investments, funding opportunities, and capital planning. Having that in-house subject matter expert to help guide uncertainty to informed choice is a meaningful change for a small municipality like ours.

What’s your advice to the average citizen looking to make their daily life more energy efficient?

Awareness is key – what gets measured, gets managed. Understanding your sources of energy and how they are being used, whether through utility bills, smart thermostats, or leveraging tools like those in our Energy Efficiency Kits, often reveals easy wins that don’t require major investment.

Small changes like sealing drafts, switching to LEDs, using power bars, or adjusting hot water use add up quickly. For bigger impacts, an energy audit is a great place to start. Where available, residents should always take advantage of local energy efficiency programs, rebates, and shared resources.

What project[s] are you looking forward to in 2026? What impact will they have?

I’m looking forward to seeing the results of the Deep Retrofit and Decarbonization plan for the GFL Twin Arena. Being our highest energy-using facility and tackling it with a whole-building approach has the potential to significantly reduce emissions while reducing long-term operating costs.

I’m also excited to see the Home Energy Efficiency Kit program fully launched through the Devon Public Library. While small in scale, it has great potential to make a big impact by empowering residents with knowledge and practical tools to assess their homes themselves and decide what matters most to them.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about the job, the process, the Town, etc.?

This work doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s been a privilege to collaborate with the teams that make it happen – our staff, external partners, and the program team at MCCAC providing support and guidance throughout the program.

Being a small Town, the ability to work closely with operations staff, senior management, and Council has helped turn ideas into action more quickly than might be possible elsewhere. I’m grateful for that trust, as a reliable in-house source, and for the opportunity to address meaningful climate and energy progress, laying the groundwork for continued improvement beyond the MEM program.

Congratulations again to Torrie, and all the MEMs across Alberta for their outstanding accomplishments in 2025. Collective efforts from this program are creating energy cost savings, reducing emissions, advancing energy literacy, and strengthening capacity in local government.

For 2026, MCCAC looks forward to continuing to support MEMs with ongoing funding opportunities, more educational resources, and continued technical assistance to help drive even greater progress in municipal energy management.