Grassroots Energy Leadership: CRO Retreat Pecha Kucha

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There are many reasons communities are motivating to help their local governments, businesses, friends and neighbors save energy and reduce GHGs. It’s about saving money, doing our part to combat climate change, fostering energy security and independence … and safeguarding the future for our kids and grandkids... It’s all part of the effort to create resilient communities.

As we all know, Irene costs the state hundreds of millions of dollars, resulted in lost lives, dislocated hundreds of people. That 2011 storm was a powerful motivator for those concerned about climate change --- a harbinger of what’s likely in store and a reminder of why swift, substantive action to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels is essential…

Many Vermonters rolled up their sleeves even more and deepened their efforts at the level to plan for and implement solutions that will help their neighbors, communities and the State be more resilient in the face of a warming world. A driving force in this proactive response, in the energy arena, is the well over 100 volunteer community energy committees in Vermont.

These all-volunteer grassroots groups are comprised of people like Fran Putnam. Uber volunteers. Many energy committees are appointed by and working closely with their local governments. They are undertaking projects in partnership with their municipalities, businesses and organizations, from Efficiency Vermont to the Vermont Agency of Transportation. I wanted to share a few stories of their inspiring efforts.

Many of these grassroots groups start with educational efforts – putting together energy fairs and events to raise awareness about why transitioning off of far-flung, dirty energy resources is important … to foster energy security … to better control our energy costs… to do what we can as individuals, communities and a state to mitigate our contribution to climate change and adapt to a warming world.

Their efforts – and their projects – are reflective of the commitment and creativity of Vermonters. In Thetford… like dozens of other of these grassroots groups, the local energy committee has harnessed volunteers in many innovative ways, including volunteer-assisted weatherization projects like this one, which are reducing fuel oil consumption by a third or more… and saving hundreds of dollars in energy bills annually.

In Hartford, a collaborative effort between town officials, the local energy committee and Efficiency Vermont resulted in a reduction or change out of the town’s streetlights. The town removed many streetlights and replace the remaining energy-intensive flourescents to far more effiicent LED technology. The result: A savings of over $60,000 annually to the town.

Over a sizzling two-day period in June 2009, 18 community volunteers in Middlesex worked to weatherize the Rumney School. They plugged air leaks and added a new layer of cellulose insulation. All told, their hundreds of volunteer hours saved the school approximately 2,000 gallons of fuel oil a year – about a third of its previous usage – saving several thousands of dollars annually.

Making the case for these money-saving. energy efficiency investments – the value of which many people don’t well understand or trust – isn’t easy. It’s why energy committees spend countless hours working to inform people about this first, most important step in our energy-saving evolution. They often focus on helping people reduce their energy needs FIRST and then focus on renewable generation solutions. And those solutions are proliferating lately…

Under the leadership of energy committees like Waterbury LEAP, more solar has come online. In 2011 and 2012 a community solar challenge in Waterbury/Duxbury helped quadruple the amount of residential solar in those towns and helped dozens of local residents generate their own homegrown electricity,. These home-based projects are also setting the stage for pairing renewable systems with innovative battery storage to foster more resilient, off-grid solutions.

Some communities, like Starksboro, have helped to install solar on their schools – helping bring power to the school and municipality, but also helping to educate younger generations

For the nearly 70 percent of Vermonters who can’t go solar themselves – they don’t have adequate access to the sun or they rent – community solar solutions like this one in Putney are increasingly popular. Third-party partnerships, utility partnerships or direct community ownership are making it possible for anyone to go solar.

But it’s not all about how we power our homes and businesses. It’s also about how we heat them. In Montpelier – The Montp Energy Committee worked tirelessly for years with City Councilors, staff and local residents and businesses to bring an innovative district heat facility online. Now, a downtown woodchip biomass facility is providing heat to the city buildings and downtown businesses… It’s reducing the city’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and relying on a sustainably harvested, regionally sourced renewable supply.

It’s also about how we get around… Tackling Vermont’s primary greenhouse gas emitting sector – transportation – is an urgent need and energy-saving opportunity. Many communities are taking steps, promoting bike and pedestrian solutions and far more… One of my favorite success stories in this arena came about because of the leadership of the E. Montpelier, Plainfield and Marshfield energy committees.

In 2009, these groups worked with the Green Mountain Transit Authority to extend a transit line from Montpelier to St. Johnsbury. The ridership has been strong and steady ever since, and the line serves about 50 people daily and saves approximately 2,600 gallons of gasoline per month.

Resilience is more than just saving energy – and more than just energy itself. As you know, it’s about how we create communities that can adapt, withstand and respond to change in a positive way. More energy committees are thinking about access to healthy local food. As it becomes more expensive to transport food from far flung locations, we must have good choices.

Though it should go without saying, an often forgotten layer of this, is the land base where this all happens. When thinking about energy – and resilience -- its necessary to think about what happens where and how we grow our communities. To be resilient, we must ensure that we balance multiple goals – ensuring our fertile farmlands are available to grow food, protecting our forests for recreation, industry, wildlife, and energy. And building communities where people can walk, bike or take transit to get where they need to go.

Deepening dialogue between local goals and state policy making … opportunities to broaden people’s understanding of all the issues (and how bigger statewide issues and concerns relate). and there is a significant need (and opportunity) to begin to coalesce

It’s an essential chain reaction. Committed Vermonters who care about our energy future, climate change and creating resilient are helping to engage more members to participate in their energy committee – and on projects that are helping reduce people’s energy bills (through conservation and efficiency) as well as foster new ways for people to get around… and promote the development of clean, local, renewable energy supplies. I want to highlight some powerful stories of their success – the approach and the results.

We have a lot at stake. Vermonters get that and are spending countless hours away from their friends and families to help build a more resilient state. It’s essential and there’s an opportunity to do far more – as we coalesce efforts and identify ways to work more, together, on strategies that will make our communities more resilient.