For nearly a decade, Ryan Lundsted worked as a middle and high school teacher in Japan, Washington State, and Maryland, mostly teaching social studies. During the pandemic, he and his wife moved to Brooktondale, New York, for what they expected to be a 6-month stint. Since that would be too short a time to take a teaching job, Ryan took a job working on a farm.
Many residents have received a piece of mail or have seen promotion for an Energy Service Company (ESCO) or Community Subscription Solar program in the past. You may have even seen some people going door to door trying to sign people up to one of these. Are they legitimate? What is the difference between them? In this article, we present an overview of ESCOs and Community Subscription Solar.
Smart power strips allow you to control how much power is sent to the devices plugged into them. They're easy to use and can save you energy and money in the long run. Jes Wickham, communications manager for the Regional Clean Energy Hub program, breaks down what they are and how to use them in this short video.
Jes Wickham, communications manager for the Regional Clean Energy Hubs program, breaks down smart power strips.
With the passing of H.R. 1, dubbed by The White House as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” changes are coming to the available tax credits for residential and commercial clean energy technologies and services.
There is still time to take advantage of the tax credits before they expire. Contact your local Community Energy Advisor if you have questions or to get help applying for tax credits.
Karím Beers studied education as an undergraduate at Cornell University and at Centro Universitario de Bienestar Rural, a small university in Colombia, South America. He worked with formal and informal education and teacher training in the United States, South America, and Africa. Afterwards, he went on to earn his masters in regional planning before joining Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County (CCETC).
In early 2024, Chenango County resident Eric Melendez was living in a drafty home with a broken water heater, so in the middle of winter, he struggled to stay warm. But with some help from local energy advisors, he received grant funding to replace his water heater and weatherize his house. Now, he lives comfortably, knowing winter won’t stand in his way of a warm home.
The Turbox family struggled with a leaky roof, a drafty house, and heating their Binghamton home with firewood, so they reached out to Smart Energy Choices for help. After installing a new roof and making energy-efficient upgrades to the house, they are living much more comfortably. They recommend others get a free home energy assessment and reach out to their local Hub if they need any help.
