subsidizing residential energy bills in rural communities<\/a> through the Rural Power Cost Equalization program. With tightening purse strings, wasting energy and wasting money is increasingly painful for not only individual families, but the state as well. According to Rep. Jonathan Kriess-Tomkins, D-Sitka, the $1 billion Alaskans dish out each year in wasted energy could fund the Alaska Marine Highway System for a decade.<\/p>\n“We feel like this is a huge drain on the economy and if we can begin to plug that gap we’ll do a number of things,” Rose said. “We’ll save the money of course and that money will stay in the local economy and be multiplied and be useful many times before it leaves the state but, we can also create jobs. These jobs, don’t require a super high level of training and there are many people around the state who can do this kind of retrofit.”<\/p>\n
Investing in local capacity, according to Southeast Conference and REAP, is exactly what made HELP novel. The two organizations have partnered to bring auditors to rural communities to assess residences, commercial buildings and even fishing vessels for years but in 2018, the partners wanted to try something different.<\/p>\n
“We conceived this program that would help people weatherize their homes and also develop local human capacity so there are people in these communities in Southeast Alaska who understand energy efficiency more and are able on an ongoing basis to help people in the community do real basic things to save energy,” Rose said.<\/p>\n
With funding from the Alaska Conservation Foundation, HELP was born.<\/p>\n
“The outside auditor being the expert and telling you what to do has a limited effectiveness and lasts for a very short time. When we invest in a community leader, that knowledge continues to circulate like currency and the multiplier effect brings a lasting benefit,” Venables said.<\/p>\n
Investing in local capacity can be a slower process according to REAP and Southeast Conference. The organizations are in the process of compiling a final report on the project, but overall HELP fell short in hitting its ambitious target of over 100 homes audited. Less than 50 residences have received audits so far. In part, according to Rose and Venables this was due to inconvenient timing. By the time auditors were trained, geared up on the ground and ready to go, fishing season had picked up and seasonal work and commitments and responsibilities were draining time from leaders and from neighbors who would have benefited from an audit. REAP also thinks messaging, outreach and the$25 participation fee were challenges.<\/p>\n
“Some communities, like Hoonah, nearly completed their goal. Others communities barely budged,” Rose said. “We are assessing how this pilot year went, what worked well, what are lessons learned and we are not sure how we will proceed but we know it makes sense to train local people to help community members.”<\/p>\n
Making energy more equitable, affordable and sustainable is an iterative process. It takes time, adaptation and patience. The group are now re-formulating what shape HELP will take in the future. According to Southeast Conference and REAP, success is not limited to the number of homes audited.<\/p>\n
Back in Hoonah, Williams was so inspired by her work with the HELP program that she’s not only continuing to spread word about energy efficiency with neighbors in Hoonah where she was born and raised, she’s working to continue her energy education. University of Alaska Fairbanks-Bristol Bay offers a Sustainable Energy Occupational Endorsement Certificate that Williams is seeking funding to pursue online this autumn.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Bethany Goodrich is a freelance reporter, and the Communications Director for the Sustainable Southeast Partnership.<\/b><\/p>\n
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