Communities are at the forefront of the transition to clean energy. It is in our towns and cities that we are most able to make meaningful, lasting changes. This transition is a very large undertaking and requires a team of dedicated residents. This page provides some suggestions and resources for getting organized.
The first step to undertaking a project of this scope is to build a project team. Transitioning to clean energy will impact every aspect of town life, so you will want the team to include broad representation. If your town already has a Clean Energy Task Force or Commission, you might choose to work through this group. If not, you might consider forming one, as it can help your team be more effective.
Before jumping into the technical details, it is wise to establish an initial project vision, scope, high-level goals and approach.
Each of these steps is discussed in greater detail below.
Build a Project Team
Because this transition will touch every community member the team should be a cross section of the community members. It will require business owners, key municipal staff, local grassroots organizations and large sector representatives. The idea is to assemble a group that is diverse enough to represent your community and engaged enough to help you get things done after planning. Having diverse representation from across your community is necessary to develop a credible and actionable plan. Additionally, a varied group of planning team members may be able to help you leverage broader resources to support implementation.
In forming your team, you might want to consider representation from the following groups:
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