Supporting Local Energy Committees in their Efforts to Save Energy Costs How and Why Municipal Governments Support Local Energy Committees

Local Energy Committee’s Service Identify energy cost saving opportunities Data collection and legwork that saves municipal staff time Share latest information on tools for financing investments in energy saving measures

Benchmarking: Why? Identify easiest opportunities to save money on energy budget Measure progress and quantify savings Communicate with public about successes in saving energy costs Attract state and federal monies for energy saving improvements to infrastructure

Benchmarking: How Municipal Government Can Help Direct municipal employees to facilitate energy use and cost data to Local Energy Committee Help communicate energy cost saving efforts to the wider community

Benchmarking Results 1) Energy Use and Energy Cost comparisons between municipal sectors 2) More in-depth comparative data on municipal buildings, including energy intensity (energy use per square foot) 3)Analysis that identifies short-range/low cost energy saving opportunities and offers recommendations for larger investments 4)Follow-up information and support for municipality to undertake energy saving projects

What Energy Costs? MoneyMoney –Rising price of fossil fuels –Capital leaves region –Access to supply can mean expensive conflict EnvironmentEnvironment –Fossil fuel combustion creates carbon and other greenhouse gas imbalance –Leads to global warming Image: software-infrastructures-are-a-waste-of-money-when-imposed-top-down.jpg

Why Act Now The cost of some fuels has almost doubled in just a few years. Early action on energy efficiency saves fuel as costs continue to rise. Money can stay in the local economy and support local development and independence. The public is looking for leadership on energy issues. Cool Monadnock is here to help. Image:

Cool Monadnock: Community Organizations supporting your LEC Southwest Region Planning Commission –Works with member municipalities to promote sound planning and decision-making on local, regional and state levels. Clean Air-Cool Planet –Helps constituents understand the impacts of global warming and its best available solutions and demonstrates the economic opportunities and environmental benefits associated with early actions on climate change. Antioch New England Institute –Promotes a vibrant and sustainable environment, economy, and society by encouraging informed civic engagement. SWRPC

What Kind of Support? Energy use assessment Develop LEC network within community, region, and beyond Training and resource materials to facilitate LEC’s community outreach Research and guidance on funding energy saving projects Image:

Image:farm4.static.flickr.com/3179/ _d28af75a46.jpg?v=0 Some Data: Where We Are Now Cool Monadnock research so far reveals the following about the Monadnock Region…

Energy Use in Our Region

What we spend as a region on heating our homes, water and cooking… Electricity: $4,208,367 Heating Oil:$40,072,250 Propane: $20,897, PSNH (kwh): $0.117 Light Fuel Oil (us gal): $2.254 Propane (us gal): $2.155 $68,321,942 70%

If we spent what we spend on home heating oil on other items, we could afford to…  Provide Medicaid to 29,000 people (or all of Keene + Peterborough)  Provide a university education to 360 students  Hire 2,000 full-time teachers for a year  Build 180,000 low-income Housing Units  Plant 9 billion trees  Brew 9 million gallons of homemade beer

Christa Koehler Community Program Manager x108