NVDA: New Weatherization Financing Program Available for Vermonters

Submitted by tim on Thu, 01/12/2023 - 00:59

Regional Planning & Economic Development in the Northeast Kingdom

ENERGY UPDATE Jan 2023

Northeastern Vermont Development Association Drafty, inefficient homes in need of weatherization will soon have a new affordable program available to them with the launch of the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP). WRAP will allow Vermont households to pay for qualifying weatherization projects like insulation and air sealing, as well as heat pumps, through a monthly charge on their utility bill that can be paid back over time.

Both homeowners and renters can participate in the program. WRAP’s on-bill payment mechanism intends to address challenges commonly encountered in weatherization, including high upfront costs and limited access to credit. WRAP will not run credit checks on customers, instead verifying a clean utility bill payment history.

Interested in learning more?

Contact Efficiency Vermont at 1-888-921-5990

Climate Change & Social Justice

Jan 11, 7pm (online)

The League of Women Voters of Vermont, in partnership with Kellogg-Hubbard Library, presents the third program in its 2022 series on The Impact of Climate Change on Vermont. “Climate Change and Social Justice” will be a conversation moderated by Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, who received a 2022 Environmental Merit Award from the Environmental Protection Agency for her Environmental Justice work. Joining her will be Kashka Orlow, advocate and private consultant, who is participating with Vermont's Climate Council on the Just Transitions subcommittee addressing connections between social equity and climate issues; and Judy Dow, the executive director of Gedakina, a multigenerational organization that supports Indigenous youth, women and families across New England. Gedakina helps reclaim and preserve cultural traditions.

Ensuring Climate Resilience

Jan 17, 12-1:30pm (online)

Is your community prepared for the effects of climate change? We’ll examine what communities can do today to ready themselves for environmental changes in this webinar from the Building the New Forest Future series.

Complete Streets: Connecting Communities through Multi-Modal Transportation Options

Jan 18, 12 pm (online)

In Vermont, where 93% of residents rely on a vehicle to get where they need to go, and transportation is our largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, Complete Streets presents an opportunity to build a transportation future that is clean and widely accessible. Complete Streets is a policy that integrates the needs of users of all ages and abilities into street designs – pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transportation users are all considered when constructing a new road or re-paving an existing one. Join VECAN and Transportation for Vermonters (T4VT) for this virtual meeting to learn more about how to support the planning, design, and implementation of Complete Streets in your community.

Better Connections Grant Program Open!

Application Deadline - Feb 17

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) are pleased to announce the Better Connections grant program is accepting applications. Bi-annually, the program grants approximately $270,000 in planning funds to help cities and towns (outside of Chittenden County) build more livable, walkable, and welcoming communities. Interested parties are required to submit a pre-flight form electronically and schedule a pre-application interview by January 31. Grant applications are due February 17, 2023.

LEARN MORE

Climate Mapping for Resilience & Adaptation - New Web-based Tool

Jan 19, 1pm (online)

Join us for a webinar that will introduce you to the new Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) portal and assessment tool, released by the White House, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Department of the Interior. The web-based tool integrates information from across the federal government to help understand exposure to current and future climate-related hazards. Community organizations and federal, state, local, and tribal governments can use the CMRA site to help develop equitable climate resilience plans and plan climate-smart investments. The site also points users to federal grant fund resources.

Bringing Community Perspectives to Community Solar

Jan 23, 2-3:30pm (online)

Not all community solar is created equal. As part of their effort to ensure that community solar implementation can serve all communities, Solstice Initiative has been pioneering research into contracts to gain perspective on how the public views community solar product offerings. Funded by the Department of Energy, Solstice Initiative collected survey data across eight states to understand preferences and expectations for community-solar projects. In this webinar, hosted by the Clean Energy States Alliance, representatives from Solstice Initiative will present their research findings with commentary from Energy Outreach Colorado and Loyola University Chicago, and NYC Environmental Justice Alliance.

Customers of Barton Village, Hardwick Electric Department, Lyndonville Electric Department, and the Village of Orleans who have purchased or leased an all-electric vehicle on or after January 1, 2022 may qualify for a FREE level 2 charger and $500 installation rebate! Contact VPPSA at 802-244-7678 / [email protected].

This limited-time offer is available on a first-come, first-served basis through the PowerShift partnership between VPPSA, its members & EVT.

Energy Committees and non-profit organizations in the VEC region are encouraged to apply for support for their energy projects!

The VEC Community Fund, supported entirely by voluntary donations from VEC members, is intended to strengthen the community by awarding grants to organizations that promote community development and economic security - underscoring the basic cooperative principle of neighbor-helping-neighbor.

Grants range from $100 to $750, with exceptions possible on a case-by-case basis. Apply here .

LOOKING AHEAD

Community-Led Resilience Hubs webinar (Feb 1, 12pm)

This virtual event will overview an effort underway to develop Community-Led Resilience Hubs in rural Vermont. Through regionally-specific, community-led design, we can support Vermont communities in building climate resiliency. Join us to learn more and identify ways your community can plug in and support existing efforts underway. Register here.

EAN Climate Workforce webinar (Feb 9, 12pm)

Register now for this webinar on "Retaining Workers in the Climate Workforce." This EAN webinar will be targeted at climate workforce employers. It will provide an inspiring view of low and no cost retention techniques for keeping your workers in their jobs. The webinar will be presented by Susan Loynd, M.A., SHRM-SCP, who is an accomplished, certified, senior human resource executive with over 25 years' experience as a business leader. She also brings a sense of humor that will make this hour well worth your while.

Efficiency Vermont’s Better Buildings by Design (BBD) conference scholarship applications are now open. Scholarships are available to both students and community partners, including energy committees, to attend the 2023 BBD conference. This year’s theme will be "Mission to No Emissions: Connect, Create, Innovate." The conference will take place on April 5-6 at the DoubleTree Hilton Burlington Hotel in South Burlington. **Applications due March 1.**

1.11.2023. St Johnsbury. Northeastern Vermont Development Association. As always, if you have news or events to share -- or a colleague who'd like to subscribe -- please email [email protected]. We publish monthly.