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July Comments
Climate Comments
July 2008
CAT EE/GB IWG - Community Solutions
Hello EE/GB IWG Members,
My organization, Yelnik Environmental, has been developing a community based climate change program with an emphasis on energy efficiency which I would like to introduce to you for consideration as a model, or as building block for other ideas, as you move forward with developing energy efficiency recommendations for the Climate Action Team. The program serves as a mechanism for fuel blind whole building energy upgrades funded through innovative community based financing.
The program of which I speak, the North Kitsap Climate Change Strategy (summary below), is working to transition the northern end of Kitsap County toward a low energy future. Major components of the strategy focus on assisting members of the community with making energy efficiency upgrades to their homes and businesses and making low impact transportation (bicycling, car sharing, mass transit, etc.) more accessible. The long term goal of the strategy is a highly energy efficient community capable of generating the majority of its own energy needs.
A cornerstone of this strategy is the establishment of a revolving community fund – providing low interest loans to community members for their efficiency upgrades and building community capital as loans are repaid and energy needs are reduced. The basic outline of the revolving community fund is as follows:
- Establish revolving fund. This will be accomplished through a number of different avenues: donations, fundraising, selling personal and commercial carbon offsets, grant funding, and hopefully someday by participating in a state established cap and trade or carbon tax program.
- Money from the revolving fund will be loaned (at low interest rates) to businesses and residents for making measurable and verifiable carbon cutting changes that they would otherwise be unable or unlikely to make (lighting retrofits, home insulation upgrades, alternative energy installations, etc). Funds will also be granted when deemed appropriate, probably in conjunction with outside grant funding.
- Funds will also be used to fund community programs that will result in measurable and verifiable carbon reduction.
- The revolving fund will grow as loans are repaid and additional funding sources are secured, eventually allowing for community investment in large community-owned alternative energy projects.
As you move forward with developing energy efficiency recommendations for the State CAT I would like to challenge you to find ways to to support and encourage community based energy efficiency programs such as the North Kitsap Climate Change Strategy. I strongly believe that individual communities are the key to implementing widespread improvements in energy efficiency.
Thank you for your personal commitment to tackling the climate change issue and for the time you are contributing as participants in the CAT process!
Sincerely,
-- Kinley Deller, Yelnik Environmental
Summary of the North Kitsap Climate Change Strategy
The North Kitsap Climate Change Strategy is an integrated, community based strategy for transitioning the people and businesses of North Kitsap to a low-energy future. The strategy is creating change through education, empowerment, and the strategic development of programs designed to make life easier and/or reduce personal costs. The long-term viability of this strategy is based on a revolving micro-credit loan fund.
Program Goals
- Reduce the carbon footprint of the people and businesses of North Kitsap
- Facilitate the implementation of energy efficiency upgrade projects for residential and small commercial buildings
- Educate people on climate change and peak oil concepts
- Facilitate the continuing development of a community that is strong, resilient and moving toward self-reliance and sustainability
- Measure the carbon emission reductions resulting from the implementation of the program
- Facilitate the development of an energy descent action plan
Benefits of the Program
- Promotes sustainability and community self reliance
- Fosters community preparation for disasters and a low-energy future
- Keeps money local
- Reduces the emission of CO2 and other climate change gases
Program Structure/Oversight
- The program is being operated initially as a clearly defined program of Stillwaters Environmental Learning Center
- During its initial period, the program will be guided by the program founders with input from an advisory board made up of North Kitsap representatives and a few outside technical advisors from the larger climate change/sustainability movement
- After the initial one to two years the program will be transitioned to being its own independent non-profit
- A selection committee of the advisory board (and the subsequent non-profit board) will evaluate and approve community project funding and revolving fund loans
- The long-term viability of this strategy is based on a revolving micro-credit loan fund. Money contributed to the program, through donations, grants, and carbon offsets, stays within the community - funding both highly visible community projects and individual household and small business efficiency improvements which pay the money back (with interest) into the revolving fund.
