Community Energy Audit

Since April 2007 when the community-wide sustainable energy project, POWERful Choices! was formed, a lot has developed. A name and logo was created, a leadership advisory committee was formed, goals were discussed, and a number of events and projects have taken place. Knowing the importance of achieving a sustainable energy future, while being challenged by keeping electric rates as low as possible, it was decided that the best course of action for this project was to seek assistance in developing a comprehensive plan.

In February 2008, a partnership to form this plan began with the Energy Center of Wisconsin (ECW), an independent nonprofit company based out of Madison that seeks solutions to energy challenges. While the proposal consisted of a four stage phased approach, budget constraints allowed approval of only the first two stages to take place at this time.

The first stage consists of developing a baseline and savings opportunity assessment. ECW will conduct a community baseline energy use assessment, and approximate the energy saving potential using statewide average data by customer class, building category (public office buildings, existing homes, manufacturers, etc.) and usage type (lighting, heating, cooling, etc.).

The second stage involves the development of a quick start plan to continue building momentum of the project. This will include identifying supporting resources (community human and financial resources, outside funding, etc.), and potential programs and initiatives that are a good match for the community, map the support resources to program opportunities, and identify a short-list of potential activities. This stage will also include the development of a plan that will serve as the preliminary blueprint for the initiative, while identifying the near-term priorities for start-up programs and targeted studies. In addition, goals will be reviewed and refined to develop an outline for a more detailed plan. Finally, ECW will assist in selection of opportunities that will quickly contribute to the near-term energy reduction goals and support the launch of selected initiatives.

This “roadmap” will help our community set priorities and allocate resources to grow this sustainable energy project along a steady, responsible path to success through the use of energy efficiency, conservation and renewable resource development.

For additional information, call Jan or Chris at 425-0938.