Blair Hamilton Student Scholarships create legacy for Efficiency Vermont co-founder

Burlington, VT

Efficiency Vermont is honoring Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) co-founder Blair Hamilton for his visionary leadership in energy efficiency and renewable energy through the creation of 40 student scholarships.

Blair Hamilton, who died in the spring of 2011, was a driving force in creating Efficiency Vermont, the nation’s first energy-efficiency utility. A mentor and innovator in the field of energy efficiency research, policy, design and implementation, Blair helped create similar organizations and initiatives in other states and around the world.

The Blair Hamilton Student Scholarships – 40 one-day scholarships to attend Efficiency Vermont’s Better Buildings by Design on February 8 or 9 – are available to college and high school students in Vermont as well as Vermont residents who are attending college out of state. Scholarship awards will be based on responses to a short essay question.  Students who are not awarded a scholarship can still attend the conference at a special reduced rate of $100 per day.

“Blair was a true innovator who, 25 years ago, thought that lowering the economic and environmental costs of energy was a great – and achievable – goal,” said VEIC co-founder Beth Sachs. “These scholarships are designed to honor that legacy and inspire the next generation of thinkers and doers.”

In 2002, Blair was named a “Champion of Energy Efficiency” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The following year, he accepted an innovation award from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government on behalf of VEIC.

The Blair Hamilton Student Scholarships are generously sponsored by VEIC.

For more information on the Blair Hamilton Student Scholarships, contact Bob Murphy at 888-921-5990, x. 7718, or [email protected]. Scholarship applications are available at www.efficiencyvermont.com/scholarships.

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.

Efficiency Vermont Press Contact
Matthew Smith
Phone: (802) 540-7662
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Efficiency Vermont
Kelly Lucci
(802) 540-7630
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Kelliher Samets Volk
Mark Ray
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