Smart Energy Choices, a program of Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins, made significant progress and impact in its first full year as Southern Tier’s Regional Clean Energy Hub.
The heart of our Hub is our Community Energy Advisors (CEAs). In the Hub’s first full year, CEAs held 195 events, including in-person outreach and presentations. CEAs reached 5,687 people and advised 1,240 households. And they helped people take close to 200 high-impact steps toward improving their home’s energy efficiency and/or switching to renewable energy.
This is in addition to Hub staff interviewing more than 300 people as part of the Hub’s Regional Assessment and Barriers Assessment, which is a study that helps the program understand the needs and challenges of our residents. Results of the study will come later this year.
The Hub also greatly extended its team and partnerships over the past year. We brought on 12 staff members, including seven CEAs. We established partnerships with local utilities, along with many Department of Social Services offices, food banks, affordable housing agencies, and more. Our partners connect us to and recommend our services to the populations they serve, which helps broaden our reach.
Smart Energy Choices is looking forward to what the next year will bring. We anticipate an even higher impact in our second year, as we continue to increase our staff, our experience, and our partnerships with others.
Contact Smart Energy Choices by visiting our website.