Bainbridge Island Community Energy Task Force

Thursday, June 4, 2009, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Eagle Harbor Congregational Church

105 Winslow Way

Bainbridge Island, WA

1. Welcome and Introductions      

Attending: Joe Deets, Community Energy Solutions, Michael Wehling PSE Energy Efficiency and Strategic Planning Grant Q. PSE Chris McMasters, Cool Moms, Eric Rehm, Gerlind Jenkner, Transition Town, Barb Zenker, Maradel Gale, Sustainable Bainbridge, Bill Luria, Housing Resources Board, Charles S., Tammy Deets, Community Energy Solutions, Jaco ten Hove, Interfaith Council, Jonathan Schacter, Irene Sher, PSE, Jessica Geenan, PSE, Green Communities Group, Fritz Feiten, Ross West, Bea Dixon, Linda Streissguth, PSE, Doug Rauh, Kat Gjovik, Community Energy Solutions and New Sustainable Business, David Rapp, Community Energy Solutions

Review of Objectives:

· Reduce Peak Load Demand

· Increase Energy Efficiency and Conservation

· Increase Reliability

· Reduce Carbon Emissions

· Educate the public

· Develop local jobs

Public Comment

Kat Gjovik was at an event last week with David Korten, and they got a lot of feedback from folks who are inspired by what is going on on Bainbridge Island. “Their eyes are getting big.”

Technical team

Joe Deets provided an update for the Technical Team. The team has gotten a number of submissions of energy saving ideas, and is looking at how they fit within the selection parameters identified at the last meeting – achieving carbon offsets, creating jobs, saving energy, peak reduction, public interest, etc.

The package of ideas being proposed should reduce peak load by 3 megawatts. The program will take a three-prong approach through demand response management, energy efficiency and conservation, and local power generation.

There was a discussion of the distinction of distributive vs. local power generation. To truly achieve reliability, we need to have multiple local sources of power. Fritz Feiten noted that the group needs to focus on key outcomes -- the vast majority of participants in this program are not going to be installing pv cells. They’re going to be looking for efficiency for their home or business. Only a small percentage of our audience is likely to the embrace cost of investing in distributive energy.

Eric Rehm informed the group about Project DX, a web platform which allows property owners to track their energy usage and approach to goals. It could provide a place where people can find out about the Energy Challenge, identify the energy saving measures that would be most cost effective and will meet designated goals, find vendors and drive them businesses, and provide a back end for those businesses to retrieve those leads. On their site, you can type in your address, and it pulls up your parcel, or you could put in your PSE account number. The funding model is new; vendors would eventually have to pay for this. Fritz noted that it is a highly configurable website – it would look like a Bainbridge specific website. They are a young company looking for adopters. They are backed by David Evans and Associations. They have had two deployments so far, in Sonoma and Portland. Sonoma’s site looks much more like what we want to do -- a whole set of energy solutions. A Project DX sales rep. will give a presentation at the next meeting.

Kathy Wolfe presented on a new grant opportunity she has identified which would fund social behavioral change activities. She is an environmental psychologist working at the University of Washington. Her work focuses on systematic investigations of behavioral interventions that promote certain outcomes. These include practices like turning out lights, using alternative bags. The programs that have been successful in achieving behavioral change have made it convenient, offered incentives, provide a prompt at the door. Delivery of messages alone does not work long term.

Energy efficiency is like non-point source pollution - there’s no clear enemy. Bainbridge Island offers a great opportunity for a natural experiment in behavioral change -- we’re bounded by water, we know our community, it’s a discrete community. PSE is keenly interested in what is happening on the island because it can become a model for other communities. That means we have a great opportunity to seek funding. Kathy mentioned a National Science Foundation Eager Grant Program which offers $300,000 in funding for short term exploratory transformative research.

There was further discussion of the characteristics of durable market pushes. Paul Stern and Doug McKenzie Mohr are key names in this field. Social networks are very important (schools, church congregations provide - respected leadership, potential champions). Pledges are effective -- verbal is good, written is better. Mentoring or coaching, where a family or neighborhood advises people who are new to the behavior. A sense of competency or mastery from working with a coach or mentor becomes a strong motivation. You need intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic. With fiscal incentives, the behavior only lasts as long as the funding lasts. You need your message to seep in to the grain of what people think and do.

There was discussion of the grant timeline; the funding cycle is likely to be too far out to apply to the potential pilot.

Bill Luria noted that the task force will be going after a lot of funding sources. We need someone who really understands the issue to take the lead on this one. Kathy said that she could help.

Jessica Geenan mentioned PSE’s “Positive Energy” program. As recommended in the book Nudge, the message is not just “lower energy use to save the environment,” but “do this because your neighbors are doing it.” The reports it provides allow the user to measure change.

Kathy noted that Doug McKenzie Mohr will be presenting a program in Vancouver in November, and suggested that a grant proposal should request his analysis of Bainbridge Island’s efforts. If we are successful and can document our process and measure our success, this will be a blueprint for other communities.

Kat Gjovik noted that there are other initiatives in the community – the zero waste campaign and new water resources effort -- there are lots of opportunities to replicate this.

Jessica noted that PSE is piloting their reporting tool, and is offering the opportunity to split the cost of providing the reports. The UTC has approved the pilot. Jessica noted that for a full year, for 8000 homes, the program would cost $ 29,000 plus PSE’s portion. The reports come in the mail, and compare the resident’s home to the 100 closest homes of similar size. This gives you an opportunity to compare yourself with your neighbors. It would not be fully accurate if a household is not entirely powered by electricity.

Eric Rehm noted that there is a clear synergy between this program and what Project DX is trying to do on line. The PSE program would also reach people who do not have access to the web. Idea: Would Project DX help fund the island’s portion of the PSE effort?

Marketing and Communications:

Chris McMasters presented an update. The marketing team needs input from the technical team and the group as a whole to identify the specific actions that we want people to take. How do we craft a message that gets people to take the Bainbridge island energy challenge? Why should I take it, why should I care, why is it important to me…

Mission Statement

A mission statement would help us focus our outreach.

Proposed Mission Statement: Create a new way of thinking about and using energy, now and for future generations.

Brainstorm on Mission Statement words:

A new way of using energy now and for the future.

New and hopeful

Responsible

Generating and using responsibly

Conservation

Smart power

Pioneer

Innovators

Carbon footprint reduction

Shared responsibility

Stewardship

Urgent (by next winter)

Cut power or cut trees…

Bea Dixon suggested that we invite the public to weigh in on the words they like. Kat suggested the idea of offering an opportunity for community members to respond to: What does energy conservation mean to you?

Ideas for a booth at the Fourth of July:

· Have people take the pledge; check off boxes to identify how they’re going to accomplish energy reduction; get their contact info so that we can follow up and provide them with resources.

· Run a full page ad in the Review listing everyone who took the pledge.

· Have an easel offering the opportunity for people to describe the energy challenge.

· Focus on “green community” theme.

· Have a tree or some other “green” emblem? Have people write their commitment to reducing energy on leaves and attach to tree?

Hilary Franz noted that the Task Force has been enormously active, doing the research and analysis. Now it’s time to put it out there. .

There was a discussion of reducing the group’s goals to three – the six goals are hard to remember and focus on. A smaller number of goals would be better for public outreach – narrow in on which things we want people to do. At the same time, there can be a distinction between the task forces’ internal goals and the messaging. Eric Rehm asserted that it’s important for all the goals to be public for transparency’s sake. David Rapp suggested reduce peaks, reduce total load, and reduce greenhouse gases. Hilary noted that it’s very important that we emphasize reliability, that is very important to many people. Bill Luria asked whether “reduce peak load demand” is a “so what?” – does the ordinary person understand or care?? Ross Hathaway recommended that we include peak load and educate to it -- Ask people, “what is your peak load?” Print t-shirts with that message. Bill suggested possible goals: Save money, save energy, save jobs. or Save energy, save the environment, restore the economy

Dave told the story of Bainbridge Island’s curbside recycling. In the 1970’s, people started a food co-op, which then spawned a recycling center. In 1983, a DOE study showed that almost 80% of Bainbridge residents recycle. Everyone had to sort and deliver to the center. When the center was dismantled, there was a cry for curbside, which induced BI Disposal to participate, and the percentage increased.

There was a discussion of signage:

Should we create a banner with our logo?

How and where do we display an energy meter? Flat screen TV? This should cost approx. $5,000, could go anywhere. This could be a community fundraising goal.

Ross suggested a simple approach, like the plywood sign on Lummi Island. So often, the message is lost in the messaging.

Grant suggested not letting the perfect get in the way of the good… start with a manually altered board…. Our real-time meter can be web-based. Get the arts community involved. Get the kids involved. Tell them the criteria -- environmentally responsible, size, etc.

Eric noted that an electronic, computer-driven sign could be solar powered. If you can do it with solar, you get a double message.

Suggestion that we get the word peak load in the common lexicon… “Last week’s peak load was…”

Housekeeping:

KUOW has asked for information about programs around Puget Sound.

Hilary provided an update on her trip to Washington D.C. She said there is a whole new energy there. She met with DOE and with Ron Simms. She said that people there are very interested in what we are doing, have asked us to get back with future updates.