DUMMERSTON — The Dummerston Energy Committee (DEC) recently won the Vermont Energy Climate Action Network's (VECAN) first Group Award for their town energy work.
The award was one of three made: one to a group, one to a project and one to an individual, awarded at the annual VECAN conference, which was attended by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz, and other Vermont officials.
Recent committee work honored includes an anti-idling resolution promoted by the committee and voted by the Selectboard; promotion of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program; anti-idling signage supported by a grant from Ben and Jerry's; collection of town energy data for the Town Plan; hosting a SmartGrid public event; creation of a Solar Coach brochure in collaboration with Transition Putney; assessment of town-wide street lighting for elimination and/or efficiency lighting replacement; and the installation of energy-efficient lights on the Dummerston Covered Bridge.
Some of this work was supported by a Community Catalyst grant from Cool Planet-Cool Air, which allowed the committee to obtain an intern from the Student Conservation Association (SCA).
SCA Intern Nicole Davis, a graduate of World Learning, lent her expertise to the committee from her work with Vermont Energy Investment Corps and Efficiency Vermont. The committee is also promoting alternative transportation through a grant from Way To Go Vermont.
DEC provides education and outreach through DEC member Alex Wilson's weekly Energy Solutions column in the Brattleboro Reformer, and the committee writes a quarterly news item in the Views of Dummerston, the town newsletter.
The Dummerston Energy Committee is one of 66 members of VECAN. DEC members are appointed by the Dummerston Selectboard and include Jerelyn Wilson, Chair, Alex Wilson, founder, and members Bill Conley, Chris Derby, Diana Lischer-Goodband, Sam Farwell and Stan (Smokey) Howe, with Martha Nelson as volunteer note taker of meetings.
DEC meetings are open to the public, they are held the First Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Dummerston Town Office. For more information, visit www.dummerston.org and click on the Energy Committee link, or email energy@dummerston.org.