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Clean Energy for All

The move from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a chance to create an energy system that is fair, strong, and centered on communities. This transition can include renewable energy sources like solar and wind, battery storage, energy-saving upgrades for buildings, switching heating, cooling, and transportation to electricity, and new tools that keep the power grid reliable. When these solutions are designed with local communities in mind, they can increase fairness, build resilience, and give people more voice and power in shaping their future.

Resources:

At ACTT, we prioritize the following in energy planning and implementation:

  • Distributed energy resources are smaller, local energy solutions like rooftop solar panels, small wind turbines, home or community batteries, and smart tools that help manage energy use. Built closer to the people who use them, these resources can be planned, placed, and owned by local communities. They provide clean power and strengthen parts of the electric grid that have been overlooked, making energy more reliable, and creating ways to help communities like ours handle the growing risks of extreme weather caused by climate change;

  • Energy efficiency is essential for shifting off fossil fuels while electrifying everything;

  • Equity as a guiding principle: making clean energy fair by giving underserved communities a stake in ownership through savings or income, and making sure they have reliable, resilient power. 

  • Community-driven planning processes, guided by local priorities, challenges, and opportunities that simultaneously build local energy literacy, leadership, and empowerment;

  • Community ownership of energy resources, building local equity through said ownership;

  • Community-driven, responsible siting of renewable energy resources, prioritizing rooftops and disturbed land and integrating resources in comprehensive land use planning and ecological respect;

  • Wherever possible, community control of resources such as battery storage and demand management technology.

Resilient, Connected Communities

Communities around the globe are experiencing increases in both severity and frequency of weather events like flooding, extreme heat, and storm surges. Maine is no exception. It is imperative that measures be taken to minimize negative impact for all, with a particular focus on helping vulnerable populations navigate disasters. Our ability to prepare for and respond to these events will not only assist local emergency response teams, it will also hasten a community’s recovery of essential functions and capacity to adapt. 

Community Collaboration and Education

Since 2015, ACTT has been committed to offering educational opportunities for the purposes of increasing ownership and empowerment for local residents as they build networks of collaboration. We invite and encourage the people of each community we work with to participate in every step of planning, implementing, and advocating for the solutions that work best for them. The best leaders are often those that know firsthand the priorities, challenges, and opportunities that are specific to the community in which they live.

Education is an essential part of building enthusiasm and dedication for climate action and local solutions. Through programs like the Climate Ambassadors, we support participants as they find their way into effective action, participation in solutions, and leadership, increasing local capabilities. 

Addressing climate change will take all of us working together to discover the unique contributions our communities can offer and find the solutions that work best for each community’s unique needs. ACTT’s educational programming empowers communities and individuals alike to play a powerful part in the unfolding process of climate work.