Houghton Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) core leadership team to meet Oct. 3 at Portage Library

By Richelle Winkler*

During the Sept. 17, 2014, community meeting hosted by the Houghton Energy Efficiency Team (HEET), Richelle Winkler, Michigan Tech assistant professor of sociology and demography, leads a community group discussion on priorities for developing a future energy vision for the local area. (Photos by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)

HOUGHTON -- The Houghton Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) core leadership team meeting will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 3, at the Portage Lake District Library. The public is welcome to attend.

Here is the agenda:

• Welcome and general announcements.
• Summary of the community kick-off meeting we held Sept 17. Did anyone take pictures?

Abhilash Kantamneni, Michigan Tech Ph.D. candidate in computer science who does research on solar energy at the Keweenaw Research Center, addresses participants at the Sept. 17 community meeting hosted by the Houghton Energy Efficiency Team.**

• Introduce graduate students who are writing our Community Energy Plan for the GUEP (Georgetown University Energy Prize) due Nov 10.
• Vision statement: the graduate student team will present a vision statement they gleaned from the discussion notes from the Sept. 17 meeting. Opportunity will be offered to provide feedback and make adjustments as necessary. This vision statement will serve as a guide as the team develops more specific goals and strategies. Essentially, it should inform everything HEET does.
• Goals. The graduate student team will present a set of goals associated with the vision statement. These goals are the more specific and measurable things HEET wants to accomplish. They should be realistic and attainable but might also carry significant weight. They should have specific time frames attached, and the time frame might vary for each -- within one year weatherize 500 homes, within five years incorporate 20 percent renewable, etc. We'll have a chance to provide feedback and suggest additional or different goals.
• Update on application submission and next steps in GUEP.
• What will we do with the money? Set up a trustee board now.
• Discussion on how we can better engage and work more closely with utilities. How can we find common ground? How can we work together?
• Weatherization coordination: New Power Tour, HEET, community organizations -- Melissa Davis.

Editor's Notes:

* Richelle Winkler is Michigan Tech assistant professor of sociology and demography in the Environment and Energy Policy Program, Department of Social Sciences. (Please excuse our original misspelling of Prof. Winkler's first name. Now corrected.)

** See the Sept. 29, 2014, Michigan Land Use Institute article about Abhilash Kantamneni's work with solar energy, "MTU scientist says high rates make rooftop solar a good Up North deal."