Bennington kicks off six-month push to drive downtown energy savings

Bennington, VT

Downtown Bennington community leaders gathered yesterday at the Catamount Tap House to learn more about plans to rally around energy efficiency.

Better Bennington Corp. (BBC) is leading the effort, in close collaboration with the Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Bennington, to encourage downtown businesses, property owners, and residents to take advantage programs and support offered through Efficiency Vermont and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). The two organizations announced the Downtown Energy Efficiency pilot program recently, which will include similar efforts in Randolph, Barre, and Hartford/White River Junction this year.

I commend BBC for its leadership in organizing community leaders to be a part of this pilot program, said Stuart Hurd, Bennington Town Manager. This concerted effort to save energy will bring long-term economic value by making downtown commercial, residential, and public spaces more comfortable and affordable for years to come.

The future of Bennington is with collaborations and partnerships. The Chamber is very excited to be working with these other organizations to bring efficiency standards downtown and to the community, said Matt Harrington, Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. I think as we roll out this pilot program Bennington can become a leader in green and efficient energy in the region.

For the next several months Efficiency Vermont the DHCD will work closely with BBC to make energy efficiency programs and services more visible and accessible to the community. Activities will include:

• Efficiency Vermont office hours at least two days a month at the BBC offices
• Numerous community events, workshops and information sessions
• Business &home energy walk-throughs
• Additional activities to be developed as the pilot program evolves.

Downtowns are the heart of Vermont communities, where we gather to work, live, and play, said Efficiency Vermont Director Liz Gamache, who is also the Mayor of Saint Albans and a longtime downtown revitalization champion. By working closely with BBC we can better understand the community’s goals and priorities, and figure out ways that energy efficiency can support revitalization efforts. Along the way we expect to make lots of new friends and form working relationships that can keep driving energy efficiency improvement for many years.

In late 2015 Efficiency Vermont and the DHCD issued a statewide request for interest to participate in the pilot program. BBC was one of several downtown organizations to respond. The goal is to learn more about how to best support downtown revitalization efforts, then expand the program to more downtowns in future years.

About Efficiency Vermont

As the nation’s first Energy Efficiency Utility, Efficiency Vermont has helped Vermont avoid over 13.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the last eight consecutive years. Efficiency Vermont works with partners to help our state transition to more affordable, low carbon energy use through education, incentives, and support for our clean energy workforce. Learn more at www.efficiencyvermont.com.

About Better Bennington Corporation

The Better Bennington Corporation (BBC) is the lead organization which coordinates public and private efforts to maintain Downtown Bennington, Vermont as the commercial and cultural heart of the community. For more information, contact BBC at 802-442-5758 or www.betterbennington.com

Efficiency Vermont Press Contact
Matthew Smith
Phone: (802) 540-7662
[email protected]