NAME: Skye Butterson-Dunn
TITLE: Community Development Officer
FOCUS: I work in the Center for Climate and Community on the Resilient Energy team at Island Institute, where we support Maine’s island and coastal communities in building energy resilience. We do this through strategic energy planning, forming partnerships with national, state, and local organizations, and helping implement innovative clean energy solutions that strengthen communities in a changing climate.
IN THIS PHOTO: That’s me at right during a recent visit to South Thomaston’s Gilford-Butler Library and Community Center. I met with local volunteers to discuss plans for expanding solar generation and adding a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)—important steps toward helping the town better withstand power outages.
This work is part of the Island Institute’s Energy Navigators pilot project, developed in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and partners Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP), Spark Northwest, and the Great Plains Institute.
Through this initiative, we provide 10-40 hours of free technical assistance to local entities—from town governments to working waterfront businesses and volunteer organizations—helping them explore practical, community-driven ways to increase energy resilience.
Standing alongside community members shaping their town’s energy future reminds me of what’s most powerful about this work: that through strong partnerships, we can bring big ideas home to Maine’s coast and islands.
