Summer 2024 Newsletter
APRIL 2024
VINEYARD POWER SPRING NEWSLETTER
Dear Reader,
We had such an amazing summer, and hope you did too! Our summer consisted of helping hundreds of islanders engage in energy efficiency and ratepayer assistance programming by hosting community events with our interns, leading education programs at camps and libraries, working with BlueDot Living to tell stories about Vineyard Power, and more.
Keep reading to learn more about what the Vineyard Power team has been up to! If you like what you see, make an impact by donating to our 501(c)(3)!
Updates
Energy Transition Program:
This program is an effort to educate, coach, and support residents, businesses, and the building trades in a transition towards an environmentally just, 100% renewable energy and fossil fuel-free economy.
Between June and August, we have:
Supported over 140 island residents and businesses in signing up for no-cost Home/Business Energy Assessments - the first step in reducing your energy bill and your building's carbon footprint.
Coached roughly 20 individuals through our no-cost energy coaching service in solar, energy efficient buildings, EVs, and income eligible programs.
Led fun, hands-on education programs at the MV Adventure Camp and Oak Bluffs Library on solar, wind, and the energy transition.
Empowered our summer interns to lead a canvassing event around the island to raise awareness about energy efficiency and electrification programs that benefit low- and moderate-income households.
Partnered with BlueDot Living to publish several articles about Vineyard Power's programs.
Spotlight: BlueDot Living Series
Through a unique partnership, we've worked with BlueDot Living to publish a series of articles about the Vineyard Power story. The first, Who is Vineyard Power?, details the origins of our non-profit. The second feature,The Road to Clean Energy, is a roadmap to help residents plan their decarbonization journey.
Our third article, Vineyard Power Supports MassSave Programs On-Island, focuses on Vineyard Power's energy efficiency programming efforts, as well as our organization's work to ensure equity in the energy transition.
The fourth feature focuses on how Vineyard Power Seeks to Energize Young Islanders through its education programs. From building solar cars, to constructing model wind turbine blades, to learning about different careers in the energy transition, students on Martha's Vineyard will be well equipped to take advantage of the vast opportunities that exist for them in this field!
Summer interns build solar cars to support Vineyard Power's Energy Transition Program.
We'll publish a final article this November to showcase our work improving resilience through solar and battery storage projects at critical facilities on-island, increasing access to renewable energy for income-eligible residents, and donating funds to reduce electricity costs for low-income ratepayers.
Click the links above to check out our features in BlueDot!
Please reach out to info@vineyardpower.com if you are interested in booking a session with us for next summer!
These education programs continue thanks to donors like you!
What we’re keeping an eye on…
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New York (NYTimes) - Ever wonder how your state makes electricity? "Fossil fuels still generate the majority of America’s electricity, but the shift from coal to natural gas and renewable power has helped reduce planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions and other harmful pollution." Toggle with graphs in this article to explore states' energy breakdown.
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Edgartown (Vineyard Gazette) - On September 6th, Massachusetts made a commitment to expand offshore wind in the state, picking three companies eyeing waters south of the Island. These projects would produce nearly 2,700 megawatts of electricity. "In the single largest procurement of offshore wind in the state’s history, state officials said Friday they are pursuing purchase agreements with SouthCoast Wind, New England Wind and Vineyard Wind II."
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Oregon (NPR) - Climate grief is a feeling "that it may be too late to save a planet in deep peril." This feeling has encouraged "a growing number of people [to] use the services of an eco-chaplain, a new kind of spiritual adviser rising among clergy trained in handling grief and other difficult emotions." Today, chaplains work at the intersection of climate, grief and spirituality across the globe.
Vineyard Power is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization capable of receiving charitable donations. We rely on support from folks like you to advance renewable energy, energy efficiency, and equity in our island community. Please consider giving today!
Sincerely,
The Vineyard Power Team