Monday, March 30, 2009

Solarfest tickets go on sale this week!

SolarFest 2009
Mark your calendars: July 10, 11 & 12, 2009

For 15 years, demonstrating the power of positive energy!

SolarFest 2009 promises to be their best festival ever. Three days of world-class musicians, dancers and performance artists, a stellar line-up of speakers, and over 70 workshops on renewable energy and sustainability topics are planned.

Visit the Solarfest website, www.solarfest.org, for information about sponsorship opportunities, vendor applications, workshop registration, and more. Tickets go on sale starting April 1st. Their traditional Early Bird Weekend pass is available through June 15th.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Way to Go! Challenge promotion

The RRPC is collaborating with the Rutland Area Physical Activity Coalition (RAPAC), Marble Valley Regional Transit ("The Bus"), and town energy committees to promote the Way to Go! Commuter Challenge.

The Way to Go! Commuter Challenge is an annual program encouraging the use of cheaper, healthier, and more earth-friendly transportation alternatives.

May 4 - 8
  • Sign up online to see how much money and pollution you will save during the Way to Go! week.
  • You will entered to win prizes.
  • Encourage your coworkers and friends to sign up too! Compete to be winning business or school!
  • Energize your community and place of work around energy use!
The RRPC, RAPAC and The Bus are currently contacting potential local sponsors - we will keep you posted!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

March Meeting Summary

Thanks to everyone who attended the March 17th meeting of the RRPC Energy Committee!

Our discussion again benefited from the participation of town energy committees, a local high school, and several interested citizens.
Nancy Burzon of the Rutland Region Workforce Investment Board presented information about workforce training in our Region. She presented several key reports and resources around existing workforce training programs and about the green economy, including The Green Collar Economy (these will appear in the draft minutes). Nancy stated that there is a general lack of energy for the green economy right now, in spite of the fact there is a great need for retraining and for job creation.
Nancy is working with Stafford Technical Center and also is considering organizing a forum to gather more detailed information about what the needed training should look like. Anyone wishing to work with Nancy on this project can contact her at njburzon@vermontel.net.
Michael Fannin and Steve Spatz made a joint presentation about past and present experiences with weatherization projects. Michael shared his experience as a member of a federally-funded Home Energy Audit Team in Vermont during the 1980s. He explained that these teams focused on minimizing fuel use. The teams were well trained, fully insured, and provided satisfying jobs to displaced workers. He suggested that the RRPC's role could be to act as a clearinghouse of information about home energy efficiency to the public.
Steve Spatz then presented information about current home energy efficiency and safety training programs available to builders and contractors today and explained the different training programs and sets of standards. He stated that the public needs to be educated about the fact that there are opportunities to have this kind of work done, the fact that there is funding available to a broad range of residents to help pay for the work, and about the health and safety aspects of home weatherization. He emphasized the importance of viewing buildings as a complete system, and advocated for a focused effort to improve the efficiency of the existing housing stock.
Thank you to all of our speakers!
Upcoming Meetings Schedule
  • April 21st - Transportation and Energy Efficiency. The Committee will learn about the Vermont Way to Go! program.
  • May 19th - Efficiency Vermont and Geographic Targeting in the Rutland Region. Bob Murphy of Efficiency Vermont will explain their outreach efforts in the Rutland area.
Resources
  • Visit the RRPC Energy Committee website for news, events, funding opportunities and more: http://rrpcenergy.blogspot.com. Look for a link to our draft minutes for the March meeting in April.
  • The enclosed list of resources was compiled by Steven Spatz of Redbarn Design and Build, LLC, to assist local energy conservation committees in their efforts to expand the accessibility of energy auditing and weatherization services to residents throughout Rutland County. Thanks, Steve!
  • Read an article in The New Yorker about Van Jones, author of The Green Collar Economy (2008).
  • Download a copy of the VECAN Town Energy and Climate Action Guide that Paul Markowitz, Coordinator of the Vermont Chapter of the Sierra Club, presented in the full commission meeting.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Green Energy Expo - March 21

The Addison County Green Energy Expo is happening this weekend!

The event is held at the Middlebury Union High School from 9 am to 4:30 on Saturday March 21, 2009.

The Expo features demos, products and services. You can get more details by visiting their website.

Interested in carpooling from the Rutland area? The RRPC will be gathering up an email list starting on Tuesday night, March 17 (tomorrow - details at right) at our monthly meeting. Get your name on the list - emails will be shared with the list and people will be able to get in touch and arrange their own carpools. Or, just email sgilbert@rutlandrpc.org before Wednesday morning at 10 am to get on the list.

ACORN Energy Co-op

The new ACORN Energy Co-op invites everyone to their special launch meeting on Wednesday March 18, 2009 from 7 - 9 pm at Middlebury Ilsley Library. The group's organizers will explain its origin, plans, and member benefits.

They have a great website where you can find more details:
www.acornenergycoop.com.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

New England Grassroots Environmental Fund

Small Grants Program

This grant opportunity is for small nonprofit and ad hoc community groups. The next due date is for May 1, 2009.

Click for details.

Friday, March 13, 2009

What Can Communities Do?

At last week's VIT workshop "Putting Energy Planning Into Action", Alex Weinhagen, Director of Planning and Zoning in the Town of Hinesburg, shared a few ideas about what towns can be doing about energy issues.

His list is a great resource to share with people in your town, especially if your enthusiasm for organizing around these issues is met with the question that I often get: "But what difference can a small town really make?" I've put down just a handful of his ideas - for a digital copy of his entire handout, email Sara at sgilbert@rutlandrpc.org.
  • Project: Work with Efficiency Vermont to do energy audits for municipal buildings.
  • Community Involvement: Make sure your newly revised Town Plan addresses energy issues in depth, and clearly supports them.
  • Zoning Opportunities: Create minimum expectations for energy efficiency and renewable energy. For example, require all new homes to meet energy efficiency standards beyond state minimums.
  • Project: Create a municipal park and ride and encourage your neighbors to use it. See the State of Vermont's Go Vermont program information.
Like what you're reading?
Come to the RRPC's monthly meeting and hear Paul Markowitz, Coordinator of the Vermont Chapter of the Sierra Club, give the VECAN talk
"Vermont Communities Tackle Energy and Climate Change"

Paul will explain everything you need to know about starting an energy committee in your town, why to do it, how to do it, and what to do once you form a committee.
March 17 - 7:00
Room 266, Asa Bloomer Building
Merchants Row, Rutland City
For details, call 775-0871 or visit http://rutlandrpc.org.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

"Putting Energy Planning Into Action" workshop notes

Last Thursday, March 5th, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) and the Regional Planning Commissions presented "Putting Energy Planning Into Action" via Vermont Interactive Television (VIT).

At the Rutland location we welcomed the Commissioners from Brandon and Sudbury, as well as current and (we hope) future town Energy Committee members representing the towns of West Rutland, Tinmouth and Wallingford.

  • Karen Horn, VLTC Public Policy and Advocacy, presented a legislative update covering proposed changes that will influence how towns in Vermont enact alternative energy initiatives. The topics ranged from the creation of a state hydroelectric authority to establishing clean energy assessment districts to giving priority to Vermonts when building renewable energy projects.
  • Three presenters shared their experiences on the topic of "Initiating and Implementing Energy Policy", which was followed by a roundtable discussion. The presenters inlcuded: Joshua Schwartz, Exec Director, Mad River Valley Planning District; Alex Weinhagen, Director of Planning and Zoning, Town of Hinesburg; and Bob Walker, Energy Committee Chair, Town of Thetford.
Check in again tomorrow - Alex Weinhagen's ideas for what communities can actually do will be posted right here!

In the meantime, check out Bob Walker's suggested resources:

Town Energy and Climate Action Guide
EarthRight Institute's Guide to Town Energy Planning in Vermont

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Meeting Notes - February Meeting

You can now read the meeting notes from February's energy committee meeting by clicking here.