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 Register today for our upcoming Catalyst Communities webinars
The Catalyst Communities Initiative is a comprehensive program to provide education, training, planning, and technical resources to local governments as they work toward their sustainability goals. This initiative offers an array of resources on various environmental, social, and economic topics to help communities across Michigan make a just transition to decarbonization and meet our MI Healthy Climate Plan goals. The initiative aims to provide a range of resource options to meet communities wherever they are, regardless of geography, population size, or pre-existing knowledge. The Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Catalyst Communities Initiative is hosting this webinar series free to communities.
Webinar recordings are posted online for future viewing on the Catalyst Communities Webinars Webpage and anyone who registers will:
- get notification when the recording is available,
- receive a copy of the presentation handout, and
- get resource and contact links for taking a deeper dive into each webinar topic.
Upcoming Catalyst Community Sessions
Is true "community" solar possible in Michigan without legislation enabling third-party ownership? Are utility-sponsored community solar models capable of delivering energy just outcomes to low-to-moderate income (LMI) households? In this webinar, we will help you answer these questions using a case example. In 2019, the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy partnered with the Village of L'Anse and WPPI Energy to create an LMI community solar program. Karl Hoesch, doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability, will share his evaluation of the energy justice outcomes of that program. He will discuss the outcomes of this Clean Energy for Low Income Communities Accelerator project, share what worked in L'Anse from the perspective of participating residents, and offer insights about what best practices might be replicated using newly available federal resources. Local government officials and employees, small and medium sized businesses, and nonprofits could all benefit from joining us for this insightful webinar.
Many are familiar with the concept of braiding complementary funding sources to achieve local clean energy projects. This webinar will extend the metaphor to the physical realm: That is, braiding various “net zero” building technologies—envelope upgrades, heat pumps, on-site renewable electricity and storage, and EV charging—to achieve integrated, high-performance buildings. Learn about strategies to holistically improve the energy efficiency of local government buildings to reduce carbon, improve the health and safety of occupants, AND save your community money by significantly reducing monthly utility bills. Experts from skilled trade associations will explain how the integrated “net zero” approach to renovations and new construction projects can work for local governments, offering advice on getting started and engaging with relevant skilled trades professionals in your region. They will also share how you can turn this approach into persuasive funding proposals that will make these projects even bigger financial winners for your community.
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Registration Questions:
Alana Berthold: [email protected]
Joel Roseberry: [email protected]
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