Story of the Week

At our last Lunch and Learn, we focused on how energy committees could take their outreach to the next level. We spent the majority of time in Zoom breakout rooms so that energy committee members and energy leaders could share ideas, challenges and lessons learned with each other. In the breakout room I joined, one participant told me how valuable these Lunch and Learn events had been for her. She said these events have helped her to meet new people and get more deeply involved in local energy and climate work in Vermont since recently moving back to the state. After learning more about the impact of local energy committees, she became interested in getting involved with or helping to start an energy committee in her town, which currently doesn’t have an official energy committee. I was able to provide her with contact information of an informal energy group in her town that had also been looking to form an official energy committee.

It was really gratifying to know that these events help to engage more people in climate and energy action in the state and serve as an opportunity for people to make connections with one another. As the Community Energy Coordinator, I oversee energy committees all throughout the state. Therefore, I am uniquely positioned to connect energy leaders and energy committees with one another to collaborate, share ideas, and learn from one another. Making just one connection such as the one I made at this Lunch and Learn can have a valuable impact, such as helping to spark the launch of a new energy committee.