This team created the Great Lakes Energy Network (GLEN) and used it in two pilot projects, one with the Buffalo, NY school district and one with the Pittsburgh, PA school district. The team worked with U.S. EPA, U.S. DOE, state regulators and local energy providers to design mechanisms for calculating emissions reductions that would be attributable to energy savings achieved at the schools.

Although no emissions permits have been pulled from the market as a result of the project to date, CNT estimates that the energy efficiency efforts of Buffalo and Pittsburgh schools will lead to yearly emissions reductions of 87 tons of sulfur dioxide, 40 tons of nitrogen oxide, and 17,588 tons of carbon dioxide. In addition, Commonwealth Edison has agreed to establish an annual bank of 1000 sulfur dioxide permits to reward Chicago-based energy management programs on the basis of emissions savings. The team then expanded the GLEN model to create emission retirement programs for other types of consumer aggregates and energy users.