Topic: Community Infrastructure

HOW IT WORKS While it makes sense to pay a contractor to complete weatherization work like air sealing (and take advantage of the rebate), sealing and insulating leaky windows for the winter can be easily completed with inexpensive materials and a few friends. With a few basic tools (think: electric… SEE MORE

All rural areas face some level of remoteness, but Alaska’s experience of remote greatly differs from that of Maine, Vermont, or New Hampshire. Many Alaskan villages are accessible only by plane or boat which often makes transport remarkably expensive, adding costs to goods and services including heating fuel, weatherization materials,… SEE MORE

High energy costs are a persistent issue across island and remote coastal communities, and addressing them presents multiple challenges. Finding funding and professionals willing to deliver energy services in these communities can be difficult. A crucial first step is bringing the community together in order to raise awareness of opportunities… SEE MORE

North Haven and Vinalhaven have been connected to the mainland via a submarine cable for decades, purchasing power from mainland utilities and distributing it through the Fox Islands Electric Co-op (FIEC). Despite being connected to the grid, distributing power and maintaining infrastructure on the island made electricity costs extremely high.… SEE MORE

  HOW IT WORKS Sam Saltonstall, a resident of Peaks Island in Casco Bay, Maine, had spent years trying to lower his own energy costs. #2 heating oil and propane are very costly on Peaks Island, making the winter heating season a financial hardship for many year-round residents. Sam organized… SEE MORE

Residents of Monhegan rely on diesel generators to produce electricity for their island. As a result, ratepayers on the island pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation, at $0.70/kWh. Residents asked an Island Institute Fellow, Ben Algeo, to help them analyze and reduce their energy consumption. Ben… SEE MORE

Efficiency Maine, the statewide administrator for energy efficiency programs in Maine, has been working to lower the barriers to energy efficiency for Mainers through creative and innovative program designs. Through its Home Energy Savings Program and Affordable Heat Initiative, Efficiency Maine provides rebates and loans to encourage Maine residents to make their homes… SEE MORE

Many Maine island homes are old, drafty, and hard to heat during the cold winter. Reducing drafts, improving insulation, and making other small changes can reduce heating bills by hundreds of dollars per year. However, paying for an energy efficiency contractor to make a multi-day trip to weatherize an island… SEE MORE