April 2024
Regional Planning & Economic Development in the Northeast Kingdom
ENERGY UPDATE April 2024
LEAP Energy Fair
April 13, 9am-2pm (Duxbury, VT)
The LEAP Energy Fair is the largest in Vermont, and it’s completely FREE! Tour 65+ exhibits and talk to experts about heat pumps, weatherization, solar power, energy audits, electric vehicles, electric lawn tools, financing, subsidies, and much more. This family-friendly event includes a free magician show, free ice cream, free electronics recycling, children’s activities, and local food and refreshments, while you learn how to shrink energy bills and save money. Brought to you by the volunteers of Waterbury LEAP (Local Energy Action Partnership).
Economic Development through Shared Energy Infrastructure & Geothermal Networks
April 15, 10:30-11:30am
St. Johnsbury Welcome Center, Pomerleau Building
The Town of St. Johnsbury's Economic Development Office and Energy Committee have joined forces to develop initiatives that support downtown revitalization and energy resiliency. Join for this one-hour discussion about how geothermal networking can support economic development while reducing our carbon footprint.
Debbie New, Coordinator at Vermont Community Thermal Networks, and Jared Rodriguez, Executive Director at Community Decarbonization Partners, will facilitate this important discussion. "Together, we can save money, strengthen St Johnsbury’s downtown, and continue moving toward a sustainable, resilient economy that benefits our businesses, our schools, and our citizens."
Please RSVP Joe Kasprzak, Assistant Town Manager, St. Johnsbury, VT, at [email protected] or by calling (802) 748-3926 ext. 5.
**Refreshments will be served!**
Check out the Thermal Energy Network Toolkit
Climate Catalysts Leadership Program
April 15 - Deadline to Apply
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is now accepting applications for the next round of Climate Catalysts Leaders. This year the cohort will focus on new and emerging leaders from a variety of large and small communities who care deeply and want to take community action to reduce energy use and lessen climate impacts in their communities.
The Benefits of Helping High Mileage Drivers Go Electric
April 16, 7pm (Hugo's, Montpelier)
Join the Energy Action Network (EAN) for their "Leveraging Change: The Benefits of Helping High Mileage Drivers Go Electric" at Hugo’s in Montpelier. Fourteen percent of Vermont drivers collectively use 41% of Vermont’s gasoline. Helping these drivers, referred to as “Gasoline Superusers,” transition to electric vehicles (EVs) can have outsized benefits in terms of both statewide pollution cuts and financial savings for the most gasoline-burdened households. In this Leveraging Change Speaker series event hear about Gasoline Superusers and new policies and programs that could help these drivers move to EVs. Join members of the EAN network and hear from Rob Sargent of Coltura, Darren Springer of Burlington Electric Department and Karen Glitman, Center for Sustainable Energy.
Municipal Fleet Electrification Peer-Learning Cohort
April 30 - Deadline to Apply
Apply for an upcoming peer-learning cohort to help your town chart a path toward municipal fleet electrification. The Vermont Clean Cities Coalition has helped Williston and Stowe Electric on similar projects. This opportunity is part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Energy to Communities (C2C) program, which provides communities with expertise and tools to achieve their clean energy goals. Participants in the upcoming peer-learning cohort will develop an action plan for light-duty and/or medium-duty fleet electrification. You also will be paired with a Clean Cities and Communities (CC&C) coalition to help tailor cohort activities to your unique needs. Participants in C2C peer-learning cohorts receive strategic and technical assistance; access to materials and resources, including templates, trainings, tools, best practices, and analyses; and the chance to collaborate with others across the United States tackling similar challenges.
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants are encouraged to include a CC&C coalition as a partner on their application or can be paired with their local coalition following acceptance.
If you are interested in working with Vermont Clean Cities & Communities on this C2C peer-learning cohort, please reach out. If you have any questions, please contact the NREL C2C team at [email protected] or reach out to Peggy at the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition ([email protected]).
Low-Cost Traffic Calming & Walk/Bike Solutions for Rural Vermont
April 18, 6-7pm (online)
Local Motion is hosting a sequence of webinars aimed at assisting advocates and communities in advancing efforts to enhance walking and biking infrastructure. In this webinar, learn about lower-cost infrastructure that can be used to slow car speeds and make rapid, effective improvements for walking, biking, and rolling. This will include some ideas for more rural streets and roads. You might even find one or two ideas where you get to "pick all three!"
Resilience Implementation Strategy Kick-Off
April 22 & 25 (online)
Learn about this effort to build resilience to climate change in Vermont, and share your ideas and input to help craft a vision for a climate-resilient Vermont. You are invited to join Secretary Julie Moore of the Agency of Natural Resources, Treasurer Mike Pieciak, and the Climate Action Office for a virtual event to kick off the development of Vermont’s Resilience Implementation Strategy. Please register for the session that best fits your schedule on April 22 or 25.
Reflections on Flood Resilience & Recovery
May 1, 10-11:30am (online)
After 10 months of recovery, how are our communities doing, what resources are serving us well, and what opportunities are opening up? Join Vermont Council on Rural Development’s Vermont Community Leadership Network for a panel of local, state, and federal leaders dealing with the daily ins and outs of Flood Recovery in Vermont. Together the group will reflect on what we’ve been able to accomplish, what best practices and resources we can draw on at this point, and what the next phase of recovery and rebuilding may look like.
May 31 Deadline for $4,000 MERP Mini-Grant!!
Guaranteed, Non-Competitive $4K!
The Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) has an education and outreach grant designed to reduce resident’s energy burden & build capacity for town’s energy resilience. What works best in each community varies! See MERP Mini-Grants in Action in the NEK->
The $4,000 can also be used to:
- Seed an energy committee
- Send mailers to homes regarding weatherization programs & rebates
- Hire a consultant for grant writing
- Hire a solar contractor
- Fund ADA assessments for municipal buildings
If your community hasn't already, be sure to secure this $4K grant for local education, outreach, & capacity-building. Contact Carter Finegan, NVDA MERP Coordinator, for assistance/Q&A.
VECAN Spring Summit
June 1, 9a-2pm, South Royalton
Join Energy Committees from across the state for the 2024 annual, in-person VECAN Spring Summit. Reconnect, collaborate and share conversation as we work to advance just and bold climate action - Register now! Share your agenda ideas here.
Legislative Roundup 2024
June 28, 10-11:30am (online)
This VCLN workshop will bring together voices from the Admin, legislature, and advocacy groups to share key highlights from the 2024 session and how your community can connect to potential opportunities that may emerge in the year ahead.
Northeastern Vermont Development Association | PO Box 630, 36 Eastern Ave. Suite 1, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819