Thanks to all who joined us for our South Minneapolis Community Energy
Planning potluck Gathering on July 23rd in Midtown Phillips. Here's the
notes and updates for everyone who couldn't make it:
*Multi-Lingual Neighborhood Outreach:*
This summer, the Our Power campaign (http://www.mnourpower.org) has
added a fluent Spanish speaker to our outreach team, joining our existing
English and Somali speaking outreachers. This has made us much more
effective at reachin neighborhood residents with energy-saving tips,
energy-saving programs, and neighborhood campaigns. If anyone is looking to
engage Spanish or Somali-speaking neighbors in saving energy, please
contact us!
*Updates on Programs:*
*Community Action Energy Programs Re-Open in the Fall:*
Minneapolis Community Action, which provides energy assistance and free
weatherization for low-income households, is gearing up for Fall 2012.
Applications are not currently available, but will become available in
October. Unfortunately, federal funding for the important weatherization
program seems to be declining - we'll keep everyone posted as we learn more
about the resources available for low-income families in the 2012-2013
winter. Learn more about the Minneapolis Community Action Energy Programs
at: http://www.campls.org/programs/home-energy-conservation
*Community Energy Services Goes Online:*
The Community Energy Services Program (homeowners only), hosted by
Center for Energy and the Environment, provides educational workshops and
$40 home visits installing up to $400 worth of home energy efficiency
materials. The first step of their process - a free home energy eductaion
workshop - is now available online via a 15-minute web presentation.
Currently, no in-person workshops are scheduled for Minneapolis
neighborhoods - please check back in for in-person events as they are
scheduled or check out the one online at
http://mncee.org/Community-Energy-Services-Minneapolis/Presentations
*Insulation and Solar Bulk Buying Program Launches:*
Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF) is a community energy cooperative that
is now helping neighbors work together save money on insulation, home
weatherization, and solar panels. Working together and buying in bulk makes
the process easier, cheaper, and fun. Last winter, CEF ran a bulk purchase
program for home insulation in Minneapolis, helping a team of neighbors
hire qualified installers of home insulation at a lower cost. CEFs new
Grow Solar program applies the same model of community purchasing to
solar-electric panels. Learn about all the bulk-buying opportunities at
http://cooperativeenergyfutures.com/bulk-buying
Neighborhood energy bulk buying opportunities currently available in
Minneapolis include:
* Bulk purchase program for home insulation - Reduce heating and
cooling bills by insulating your home from the elements:
http://cooperativeenergyfutures.com/insulation
* Bulk purchase program for solar-electric panels (Grow Solar) - Take
the first steps to produce clean, local energy:
http://cooperativeenergyfutures.com/grow-solar
* Weatherization work parties - Join neighbors for a fun work party
preparing your home for winter:
http://cooperativeenergyfutures.com/workparty
If youre interested in solar hot water of solar air heat, please check out
the Make Mine Solar bulk-buying program run by the Minnesota Renewable
Energy Society: http://mnrenewables.org/makeminesolar
*New Ways for Neighbors to Lead the Way:*
*Create Your Own Neighborhood Energy Teams*
Through support from the Hennepin County Green partners program, we're
inviting you to help launch Neighborhood Energy Teams. We can support block
groups, parents circles, local organizations and institutions, and groups
of friends in taking action together by providing information, support in
energy-saving techniques and community engagement, and seed funding for
group activities. Some of the big ideas out there so far include:
* Having groups of neighbors chalk the sidewalk with their monthly
energy consumption to compare and share tips for saving energy
* Block parties and fun events to get to know your neighbors and share
ideas for the future
* Outreach and engagement drives to help neighbors save energy
* Fall weatherization work parties for preparing homes for the winter
* Bulk buying for insulation, solar, and more
We're looking for community members who want to work on their block or
within a social community (work place, place of worship, school, community
group, etc.) to form teams and work with us to find the path towards change
that works for them. Contact Timothy at <email obscured> or direct by
cell at (646) 670-1682 to join in!
The Our Power campaign is working on a set of tool-kits for community
residents to set up these groups drawing from the EMpowerment Institute and
more.
*The Our Power Blog Opens Up*
After a major website overhaul in the Spring, we just opened our online
blog to community member's written stories, pictures, and videos in late
July. Please contact us (<email obscured>) if you want to share any of
the following:
* Your energy story
* What energy means to you
* What you're doing to be part of the solution
* What you want to see in the community
*We'll Come to You!*
If you have a neighborhood group (informal community groups, faith
groups, parents groups, etc. are welcome) that would like us to come and
share ways to take action to save energy anywhere from 10 minutes to 2
hours, please let us know. We'd love to meet with existing groups of
Southside neighbors to help spread the word. Contact us at
<email obscured> or (612) 548-1333 to schedule us.
*Other Updates:*
*Community Energy Ownership: On the Horizon?*
Cooperative Energy Futures is in discussion with the Midtown Global
Market about launching a new model of community ownership of clean energy.
The legal and financing process is still working out, but essentially this
would allow neighborhood residents (including renters and others who can't
afford or do not have a home appropriate for solar on their own property)
to join together to own a solar array selling power to the global market
cooperatively. As far as we know, this would be a first for Minnesota, and
a potential model for many more community energy ownership projects in the
future.
*Draft Community Energy Plan Released:*
Kelly Wilder has been hard at work formatting and organizing the
Community Energy Plan envisioned by local residents in the Spring. There
are still some kinks and revisions needed, but check out the
current version of the full plan here:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7i1mL4IwLdeYW0wa3dIV1V4WmM
For a two-page summary of policy asks, visit:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7i1mL4IwLdeZEtkMWNKWW1WOWc/edit
*City-Wide Energy Efforts:*
The City of Minneapolis is currently developing a Climate Action Plan to
identify how Minneapolis will address climate change. This far-reaching
plan addresses electricity, gas, water, transportation, food, waste
management, and more as it seeks to address pressing long-term challenges
for Minneapolis. The City is looking for opportunities to get feedback and
input from community groups as they develop the plan. Our Power is
considering hosting a South-Side forum sometime in the fall to give input
to this plan. Contact us if you want to help bring neighbors together for
this event. In the meantime, you can learn more and provide feedback at
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/sustainability/climate/index.htm.
We also discussed the upcoming negotiations with Xcel Energy and
Centerpoint Energy over their long-term franchise agreements (these
agreements enable the utilities to use public right-of-way to deliver
energy services and in return pay the City around $24 million annually).
City Council and some citizens groups are looking into ways to use this
renegotiation to advance:
* More investments in energy efficiency to help local residents and
businesses, especially in low-income communities, to save money
* More investments in local clean energy to reduce our reliance on
coal, natural gas, nuclear, and other energy sources that pollute our local
communities and other communities across the region.
* Clear and accessible structures for community participation and
ownership of clean energy and energy management so people in the
neighborhood can benefit as producers and participants in the energy market.
These goals could be advanced by proactive franchise negotiations, or by
efforts to create a municipal energy utility, which would allow Minneapolis
to make these decisions democratically on its own. To learn more about this
issue, please visit the community campaign website for Minneapolis Energy
Options: http://www.minneapolisenergyoptions.org
*Next meeting:*
We set our next Our Power community Gathering for Wednesday September
26th from 6-8PM. Please save the date, and look for more details in
September.
Thanks,
Timothy DenHerder-Thomas
MN Our Power
www.mnourpower.org