UpGrade News

Originally posted on April 30th on the Zipline Logistics blog page here. Zipline Logistics had the honor of attending the very first Clean Transportation Forum hosted earlier this month by curso sketchup. The event was held in collaboration with Hocking College and Clean Fuels Ohio and focused on facilitating discussions around cleaner-burning, electric, and fuel ...
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UpGrade Ohio staffers send letters to the editor of The Athens NEWS to support clean energy projects: Carbon-fee issue a chance for Athenians to improve the world To the Editor -- View the original letter here. I don’t know a lot about Athens city politics but things seem to be ...
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On Thursday, April 19th, UpGrade Ohio spearheaded the development and implementation of the first Appalachian Clean Transportation Forum in Logan, Ohio, at the Hocking College Energy Institute. Sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the forum allowed local leaders to hear from experts out of Columbus, Ohio and across the ...
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This blog post is an opinion editorial by Mathew Roberts. Activists in Athens County, Ohio have turned up the heat, a slow burn that has continued for months in response to proposals to open a coal mine near the Trimble State Wildlife Area and the prospect of oil and gas ...
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Re-published with permission on the Energy Smart Home Performance website. We have control over two major things that use a lot of fossil fuels: our homes and our cars. A typical home uses about twice the fuel of a car. Many clients want to reduce their use. They have multiple ...
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Originally posted on the "News" section of the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council website.  Four Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC) member-communities, including the City of Athens, the Villages of Amesville and Somerset, and the unincorporated areas of Athens County, Ohio, have received a Bronze designation from the national SolSmart program for ...
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This analysis of Ohio's newly issued net-metering rules should not be used absolutely and should only serve as an introduction to net-metering for current and future customer-generators. Last week the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) updated rules that govern electric net metering, which requires that all electric distribution companies ...
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. . . $15 Billion and counting! Some southeast Ohio voters will see a ballot initiative this November 2017 to decide whether to pass electric aggregation. This campaign is being led by the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council as they educate communities (Perry County (unincorporated), Shawnee, New Straitsville, Coolville, and ...
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Blog post by Mathew Roberts. You're welcome to re-distribute with a link back to this page. If you live in the Appalachian region of Ohio, it’s likely you’ve become aware of the hydraulic fracturing boom, also known as “fracking”. The industry, built to prop-up the United States’ oil and gas ...
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Message provided by Roger Wilkens of the Athens Energy Institute - October 4, 2017. Friends of the Athens Energy Institute: For the past year and half the Athens Energy Institute has conducted a biweekly seminar in which we explored the massive transition that is transforming the Energy Sector. Starting with ...
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Originally published by Sam Spofforth as a Clean Fuels Ohio blog post | re-published with permission Last Friday, August 25, several parties announced a settlement agreement on a multi-faceted proposal filed by AEP Ohio this past spring. The settlement includes a $10 million investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to be ...
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The 9th year of the Ohio Green Fleets Awards celebrated eco-friendly fleet managers and seasoned technicians as part of the Midwest Green Fleets Forum & Expo in Columbus, Ohio on August 2nd - an event that explored the various options organizations have to green their fleet through engine upgrades, fuel ...
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PowerForward is the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's (PUCO) review of the latest in technological and regulatory innovation that could serve to enhance the consumer electricity experience. Through this series, we intend to chart a clear path forward for future grid modernization projects, innovative regulations and forward-thinking policies. On July ...
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Our Development Director had the chance to visit businesses in Gallia County, Ohio in late July (2017) to make them aware of our REDA - Renewable Energy Development Assistance - Program. This program offers free renewable energy assessments for solar, geothermal, and bio-gas collection as a way to spur further community investment ...
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Community solar refers to solar energy projects with multiple owners, often living in geographic proximity to a project, who share the costs and benefits of investment in this shared resource. Often referred to as ‘shared solar gardens,’ community solar has been an emerging energy development across the U.S. in recent ...
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The ‘Energy System’ as we know it is being transformed by rapid growth in the form of distributed energy resources (DERs), decentralized forms of distribution and  power generation, and emerging technologies that support a bidirectional, transactive grid for energy consumers to interact with their electricity grid. The deployment en masse ...
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Group says legislation addresses certain ratemaking provisions in current law that are anti-competitive and bad for electricity consumers and for Ohio’s economy (Columbus, OH): A diverse coalition of pro-competition consumer organizations announced its support for electric legislation (HB 247), sponsored by Rep. Mark Romanchuk, R-Ontario, which was introduced today in ...
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Blog post written for the UpGrade e-newsletter by Mathew Roberts, Info and Outreach Director The 6th annual Appalachian Ohio State of the Region conference, titled "A New Era in Economic Resiliency", was held Tuesday, May 23 as a showcase of current and future trends in economic activity for the 30+ ...
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Energy performance contract with Johnson Controls slated to save millions Originally published in The Athens News for the "Energy Action" column - By: Mathew Roberts As the Athens County community awaits the call for finalists in the nationwide Georgetown University Energy Prize (GUEP), the County government is finalizing improvements made ...
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The Earth Week Extravaganza in Athens County has emerged again in 2017, with more collaborating organizations than ever promoting events and creating new opportunities for citizen action and awareness in environmental sustainability. In its second year of partnership the Earth Month Coalition has added more events for visitors, fest-goers, and ...
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Story by Kaitlin Kulich - for UpGrade Ohio and College Green Magazine. Photos provided by Sarah Fischer of Clean Fuels Ohio. Additional coverage by the Athens Messenger: "Electric vehicle enthusiasts promote sustainability in Athens County" - posted April 7, 2017 Electric and hybrid car owners and people interested in owning ...
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Originally published on The Athens Messenger - By Alex Lumley Special to The Messenger An “EV Round-Up” event was held at the Athens County Public Library last weekend, highlighting numerous electric powered and hybrid vehicles as well as members of the Athens community who are passionate about issues of sustainability. Mathew ...
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On March 22-23, the Ohio Sierra Club Chapter invited UpGrade Ohio’s Information and Outreach Director Mathew Roberts to join a coalition of environmental stakeholders to meet with Ohio Representatives and the staff of Ohio’s Senators in Washington D.C. The coalition expressed concern over the administration’s proposed budget, particularly how it ...
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Originally published in The Athens News - for the "Energy Action" column The growth of solar across the country may be easier in some places than others, but one national group is taking the challenge head-on by developing bulk solar purchasing programs in various communities to help drive down the ...
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By: Mathew Roberts, UpGrade Ohio Info and Outreach Director Originally printed in the Green Energy Ohio news magazine, Winter 2017 issue Are you a small business owner or farmer located in Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Vinton, or Washington county? START HERE (or fill out form below) for a free ...
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Originally published in The Athens Messenger - Samantha Nelson, staff journalist. A local team of professionals wanting to expand access to solar power energy in Athens County and beyond has been accepted into a nationwide competition that will offer technical assistance, funding and a chance to win big money. Led ...
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Advanced Science and Technology Center 1400 Newark Rd Zanesville, OH 43701 Saturday, April 8 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. OH-SUN is proud to announce we will be holding the first Ohio Solar Congress on Saturday, April 8 in partnership with Zane State College. The Solar Congress is an open and ...
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Originally published on Jan. 3, 2017, in The Athens Messenger - Samantha Nelson, staff journalist Not only was Saturday the last day of 2016, but it was also the last day of the semifinalist competition for the Georgetown University Energy Prize. One of those semifinalists was Upgrade Athens County, a local ...
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Originally published in The Athens News - The Kilowatt Countdown column (the final one!) 2015-2016 For updates about our progress towards the Finalist round, regularly follow this page. UpGrade Athens County, a project of UpGrade Ohio, is a semi-finalist in the Georgetown University Energy Prize! It’s a two-year competition that ...
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Originally published on The Athens NEWS - The Kilowatt Countdown column What makes Athens a brilliant place to live and work? Many feel proud to call Athens home because of a growing vision for energy independence that manifests itself as rooftop solar on local businesses near and far. Though this ...
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Published in various Athens area newspapers - Title from The Athens Messenger here. To the Editor: I want to commend the City of Athens for installing the 24 solar-powered compactor bins I am finding on uptown streets. This pilot effort not only introduces pedestrian recycling for the first time in ...
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Submission by EV Cruisers Club member, Ed Perkins - Sent to the Athens Messenger for publication. Electric vehicles, EVs for short, are making a comeback - again. And my wife and I have joined in, buying a 2013 Chevy Volt in September. EVs are not new. They have a long ...
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The Kilowatt Countdown - Originally published in The Athens NEWS Editor’s note: Athens County is a semi-finalist in the Georgetown University Energy Prize, a two-year competition that challenges communities to reduce energy use through innovative, community-based solutions. The winning community receives a $5 million prize and national recognition as an ...
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Interested parties, including UpGrade Ohio and the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC), joined business leaders and a diverse group of concerned citizens who testified to the Ohio Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee on November 29th, 2016. Most witnesses to the hearing testified against Ohio Senate Bill 320; a ...
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Originally published in The Athens NEWS  Less than a year ago, Meta Ackley was sitting on her front porch near the heart of the historic Nelsonville Public Square waiting patiently for something good to happen – and to her surprise, her wish came true. She was greeted that afternoon by ...
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Contact: Ben Lachman, ben@energyglow.io or 740-590-0009 (ATHENS, OH) — Athens-based startup Potential Labs was awarded the “Most Innovative Concept” at West Virginia University’s TransTech Energy Conference in Morgantown, W.Va. month from October 26-27, 2016. The two-day conference was devoted to bringing new environmental technology ideas and startup companies together with ...
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To complement the rising interest in electric cars and other vehicles (also known as EVs), communities are acting fast to get ahead of the growing industry. Ohio University’s Athens Campus is already home to 10 charging stations in five locations, with several Leaf and Volt vehicles added to Ohio University's ...
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Friends, Colleagues, and Energy Efficiency Advocates: The Hocking Athens Perry Community Action (HAP CAP) and Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD) invite you to join with us in celebrating a Weatherization Open House, in Nelsonville, Ohio on Monday, October 31st at 10:00 am.   The event will include workshops on energy ...
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Originally published on The Athens NEWS - The Kilowatt Countdown column Athens County Public Libraries (ACPL) are moving forward on energy efficiency by using a $85,602 gift from local utilities to pursue upgrades on existing library buildings. Last autumn, AEP Ohio and Columbia Gas of Ohio challenged the Athens County ...
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This year's Appalachian Peace and Justice Network Art Gish Peacemaking Award was awarded to Roger Wilkens for promoting cooperation and community energy organizing. UpGrade Ohio's Executive Director Sarah Conley-Ballew introduced Roger by outlining his commitment to collaborative organizing and his steadfast optimism in the effort to build true energy-focused democracy. Roger had ...
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1951-2016 Sandra Sleight-Brennan was a steward of our environment and a teller of beautiful tales. Her career spanned decades, produced many amazing pieces about our region, and garnered dozens of awards. A genius at collecting and conveying information to her community, Sandra was one of UpGrade Athens County’s earliest supporters ...
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Thoughts provided by Kim Jordan - As found in our e-newsletter (CLICK HERE) "In October 2014 when Chris Chmiel asked me to help Athens County pursue the Georgetown University Energy Prize to reduce energy consumption in a competition with fifty other communities across the States, I reached out to many of ...
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Originally published on The Athens NEWS - The Kilowatt Countdown column As students from Hocking College and Ohio University return to Athens County in pursuit of higher learning, the realities of independent living, energy costs and roommate relationships set in. When I was a student, the top priorities for moving ...
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Originally published in The Athens NEWS - The Kilowatt Countdown Athens, Ohio can rightfully claim another first-time accomplishment, standing confidently next to a recent ranking that selected Athens as the best small college town in the country. With a $100,000 USDA Renewable Energy Development Assistance (REDA) grant, the Southeast Ohio ...
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*Photos taken by Kailee Slusser Last week, clean energy was welcomed as a key topic in the 5th annual Real Food Real Local Conference. The three day event from July 18-20 brought in seasoned experts to inspire community-wide push to promote emerging markets in local food and opportunities to build ...
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Originally published in The Athens NEWS - The Kilowatt Countdown Linda Cochran is a proud electric car owner. With the recent purchase of a 2012 Nissan Leaf, she and her husband are proving their support in a worldwide movement to switch from fossil fuel-based transportation to an innovative collection of ...
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Monday, July 18 6 PM - 10 PM Help us raise funds for Upgrade Athens, a non-profit dedicated to promoting sustainability and renewable energy in Athens, Ohio. Sarah Conelly-Ballew & Mathew Roberts will be here to inform us about their organization, hand out FREE LED light bulbs, and have a ...
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Seaman's Cardinal Supermarket has made the UpGrade! Late summer last year, J. Seaman explored LED replacements for the canopy lighting at the adjacent Marathon Gas station near the local-favorite grocery store. Those light fixtures sparked action to get more LED upgrades for the gas station's overhead exterior lighting in the ...
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Originally published in The Athens NEWS - The Kilowatt Countdown The Ohio Pawpaw Festival is hosting a new competitive event this year: the Renewable Energy Regatta. This boat race, sponsored by UpGrade Athens County, is part of Pawpaw’s second annual Energy Village. The objective is to showcase engineering innovations that ...
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Originally published in The Athens NEWS - The Kilowatt Countdown For the past half year, UpGrade Athens County and the Ohio University Credit Union have been co-promoting the Electric Vehicle (EV) Loan Program, a zero percent interest loan with the OUCU that can be used in whole or in part ...
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During the hot summer months, many Ohioans look for ways to beat the heat. There are several ways you can keep your home cool and save money on your energy bills when it is hot outside. Blocking heat from reaching the home There are many ways to block heat from reaching a home. Shading works most efficiently ...
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Prepared by Carol Davey-Sayre, Empower G&E Rental Efficiency Manager For years, the issue commonly referred to as the 'split incentive barrier' has stalled efforts to increase energy efficiency in rental housing. Basically, landlords who do not pay for utility costs in a rental property are not motivated to increasing the ...
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Originally published in The Athens NEWS - The Kilowatt Countdown The Deddens Professional Building on 86 Columbus Circle, home base to a number of state agencies and private businesses, has kept its brick-polished look for many years but has not been able to escape the trajectory of the UpGrade Athens ...
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Dear Athens County, You should feel very proud. I am amazed at the passion and consistent participation you have displayed in UpGrade Athens County’s goal to lay a foundation for a sustainable, clean energy economy. The truth of the matter is that this would not be possible without you. Our ...
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Grand Opening on Saturday, February 20 Athens, Ohio -- The Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery (OVMoD) in the Market on State in Athens will be celebrating the grand opening of its newest exhibit, Green Revolution: Energy Conservation in Athens, on Saturday, February 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The ...
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Originally published by The Athens NEWS - "Learning center teaches about resiliency of energy, agriculture" FUTURE EVENT: Support Local Farmers and the Woodland Ridge Renewable Energy Farm Tour on June 17, 2017. The tour is part of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) 2017 Farm Tours. Cushioned deep in the ...
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Each new year gives us the opportunity to look back, check for mistakes, and make corrections. As with any massive undertaking, such as accelerating the clean energy movement, there will be great success and many failures. As UpGraders of Athens County, our cycles of trial and error in the vast ...
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Originally published on The Athens NEWS - "Final call to energize Athens County Libraries" Calling all Athens County residents, business owners, managers, and government officials! Though you may have seen a surge of opportunities to save energy in your homes and places of work in the last half of 2015, ...
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Originally published in The Athens NEWS - "Believing in the EV: Why should you drive electric?" If you’re in the market for a new or used car, a special deal for those who live and/or work in Athens County has finally arrived! The chatter and buzz that has circulated in ...
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Written by: Mathew Roberts, Info and Outreach Director The Alexander Local School building, which houses all K-12 students throughout the district, has been an Energy Star certified building since 2012. Schools and other commercial buildings worthy enough to hold the title must meet a high-standard set of benchmarks to reach eligibility ...
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Originally published in The Athens NEWS - "A ride on the ‘clean energy expressway’" We’ve had the privilege in working with The Athens NEWS team to continually bring you updates about the UpGrade Athens County movement, appropriately called “The Kilowatt Countdown.” We’ve kept you attuned to our effort to win ...
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Written by: Teny Bannick, UpGrade Athens County's Energy Advocate The position was created to assist UpGrade Athens County clients in their process to improve the energy performance, the health and comfort of their buildings and facility operations and take next steps to shift from fossil fuel (and nuclear) to renewable ...
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As an author, architect (58 years registered), and perhaps a new kind of American hero, Rodney Wright has established himself as an archetypal "UpGrader" of the Athens County community. Ahead of his time, Wright told us about his involvement in a slew of activities from designing highly-efficient early childhood education ...
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Originally published on The Athens NEWS - "October sparks clean-energy commitment, other good news" The first days of October will mark the beginning of celebration and community action around energy efficiency for Athens County, Ohio. This Friday, the Green Energy Ohio tour, sponsored by Green Energy Ohio, Third Sun Solar ...
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Story by Wenda Sheard, co-chair of the Energy Education Committee Additional content by Mathew Roberts, Info and Outreach Director The distribution of 1,920 free LED light bulbs to Ohio University students living off campus will result in an estimated electricity savings of $60 per rental unit assuming the five free ...
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Originally published on The Athens News - "Off-Campus Upgrade kicked off this week in Athens" By Julia Flint, Media and Outreach Committee member UpGrade Athens County and the Campus Involvement Center at Ohio University worked together to deliver 5,000 LED lightbulbs to off-campus rental houses this week. The bulbs have been ...
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Originally published on The Athens NEWS - "An A+ in energy efficiency: Green Schools Initiative on the horizon" By Paige Bennett, UAC Media Intern (lead author and researcher) and Wenda Sheard, Energy Education Committee Co-Chair (supporting author) The Green Schools Initiative aims to provide opportunities to local school districts to ...
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Who: On July 21, Nelsonville community members and city leaders, along with representatives from Hocking Athens Perry Community Action (HAPCAP), the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD), AEP Ohio, and Columbia Gas of Ohio met at Stuart’s Opera House to discuss “Weatherize Nelsonville,” a unique partnership opportunity to increase local ...
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On July 6-7, AEP Ohio and Columbia Gas of Ohio met with Athens City Council and County Commissioners about offering a Community Energy Savers (CES) program for customers in the county. The proposed program would create a countywide approach, involving mayors and other key stakeholders, to increase participation in existing ...
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A major goal of UpGrade Athens is to switch as much as possible to renewable energy from our present heavy reliance on fossil fuels - coal, petroleum and natural gas. But is this technically feasible, even ignoring the obvious political and economic difficulties? It turns out that the answer is ...
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ALSO READ: Jackie O's gets USDA grant to help fund solar panels for the brewery (WOUB) Originally published by The Athens NEWS here. By Conor Morris, The Athens NEWS Imagine Athens County as home to one of the largest utility-scale solar grids in southeast Ohio. Now imagine the county’s public schools ...
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The use of renewable energy, especially solar energy, has increased dramatically across the United States since 2013. Research from the Solar Energy Industries Association estimates 20,000 MW of solar capacity is forecasted to come online over the next two years, doubling the country's existing solar capacity. Bloomberg New Energy Finance ...
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Originally published on WOUB - "Jackie O’s Brewery Receives Grant to Go Solar" Jackie O’s President Art Oestrike said that the process to pursue a grant came shortly after the on Union St. fire , when businesses were looking at grants funding availability. He said that while those didn’t apply ...
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Originally published in The Columbus Dispatch here. A community-owned solar array, the first of its kind in Ohio, could begin taking form later this year in Athens, clean-energy advocates say. The Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council is building partnerships with the five school districts in Athens County to feed school ...
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Originally published in The Athens Messenger here. By Haley Dake - Special to The Messenger Ohio’s Energy Future Tour made its sixth stop at the Athens Community Center Wednesday night to host an open forum to discuss the importance of energy efficiency and educate the people on how to give ...
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Originally published in Green Energy Ohio magazine here. In the Winter 2015 issue of Green Energy Ohio News Magazine, Geoff Greenfield touted the Athens County aggregation program in an article entitled, Athens County Goes Solar Using Old Law in a New Way. Since that publication, Athens County has continued to expand the power of community aggregation to bring energy ...
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Originally published on The Athens Messenger - "Bill Clinton praises UpGrade Athens County" A group working to increase energy efficiency in Athens County got a shout out from former President Bill Clinton this month for its efforts. Roger Wilkens, executive director of Southeastern Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC), was invited ...
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Originally published by The Huffington Post here. Written by: Bill Ritter, Jr. - 41st Governor of Colorado; Director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For nearly a decade, first as governor of Colorado and now as the director of a clean energy policy group, I ...
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Owners of the Athens fine-dining restaurant, 9 Tables, have been busy in recent months preparing for the opening of a new bakery and café in the building adjacent to their restaurant. A less obvious addition sits on the roof of the restaurant's front porch: a 1.025 kilowatt solar array. Last ...
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Athens County: We have a mission. We want to show the world that we can transform our community into to a lean, mean, energy-efficient machine in just two short years. Sure, it's an audacious goal - the best ones usually are - but we're off to a great start with ...
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Weather can be serious business in Ohio with hot, humid summers, cold winters, and extreme weather possible throughout the year. With such a broad climate spectrum, proper weatherization of homes is critical to reducing household energy costs. As a byproduct, saving energy also reduces environment impacts. Ohio has been consistently ...
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To the Editor: Citizens of Athens County know well that we are fortunate to live in an area that is not only quite beautiful, but also is inspiring in many different ways. One of the most inspiring characteristics of our community is its commitment to environmental stewardship. We see this ...
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By Brennan Howell, Director of Clean Energy and Climate Campaigns for the Ohio Environmental Council. If you're looking for a bold plan to address the biggest energy problems facing people today, the place to look is not in Columbus, Ohio, or Washington, D.C., but in Athens County, Ohio. Several southeast ...
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  After talking so much talk, Athens County is ready to walk the walk and find out where it stacks up on energy by competing for the Georgetown University Energy Prize. A release from Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel said last week that the national competition aims to dramatically improve ...
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Republished with permission by the Athens Messenger Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel and County Planner Lori Burchett will travel to Washington, D.C., next week for the kick-off of the application phase for the Georgetown University Energy Prize. As The Messenger reported last December, the county commissioners decided to submit a ...
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