WHAT IS AN ENERGY COMMITTEE?
An energy committee is a group of members that works together to establish and implement a community’s energy goals. This committee can be a group of private citizens or an appointed advisory committee for the town. The energy committee is tasked with increasing collaboration among key stakeholders needed for your city or town to reach its energy potential.
WHO SHOULD BE INCLUDED?
Key committee members will depend on the size of the municipality and the structure of the local government. Considerations for members should include all or a combination of the following:
- A knowledgeable energy professional;
- An engineer;
- Representatives from the city/town including the facilities department, finance department, mayor’s office, board of selectmen, city/town council, city manager’s office, etc.
- Local utility representative;
- An energy justice advocate/relevant local community-based organization member; and
- Interested citizens.
Local energy committees may also include those outside of local government, as well as municipal representatives.
The energy or social justice advocate should be someone who is dedicated to representing the interest of low-income community members, racial and ethnic minorities, affordable housing, people with disabilities, or other underrepresented community members.
The most important piece in forming an energy committee is its committed members. Learn more about why a community should form an energy committee from the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE?
The formation of a local energy committee is one of the key ingredients for municipalities looking to reduce energy waste and maximize their use of clean energy. The committee is the “boots-on- the-ground” energy and climate action leader driving clean energy strategies. Committees can research the local government’s energy costs, develop and assess potential improvement projects that reduce energy consumption and costs, and solicit information from other relevant stakeholders such as residents and local government officials. Potential projects can range from helping the community to develop an energy plan, to encouraging the conversion of lights to LEDs, to converting the present energy system to a cleaner, renewable fuel.
By creating an energy committee, your community can save money, develop an energy plan with the future in mind, and maintain the character of your community. Begin with getting a baseline of your community’s energy consumption, and then gather ideas for strategic projects and success stories from existing energy committees in your region.
UTILIZING/LEVERAGING COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Energy committees with little-to-no budget can collaborate with their communities to incorporate diverse perspectives.
- Collaborate with local community-based organizations (CBOs) that might not focus on energy but are established in segments of your community that you don’t have as strong a network in
- Reach out to your local planning commission, if applicable, for support
- Use established channels such as schools, religious organizations, etc. to increase your impact
- Conduct outreach to community members in a variety of ways to ensure outreach to a broad audience. Providing in-person and virtual options is important.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources provides an overview of how to organize an energy committee.26
- The Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network provides this Town Energy and Climate Action Guide and Town Energy Committee Summary. These resources are geared toward communities in Vermont, however, they may be useful tools for communities throughout the Northeast region.
- The NH Local Energy Solutions Work Group has developed a Strategic Energy Action Toolkit that was developed specifically for local energy committees.
-
Setting Energy Committee Priorities – Vermont Energy Climate Action Network
