Barrington, Bristol and South Kingstown Launch solar campaigns
Providence, R.I., – Representatives from the Office of Energy Resources (OER), the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and the non-profit organization SmartPower joined with municipal leaders today to announce the three communities that will participate in the Fall 2017 Solarize Rhode Island program.
“Riding on the heels of the tremendous success of Solarize’s spring round, we are excited to have the towns of Barrington, Bristol and South Kingstown join us for the new season,” said Carol Grant, Commissioner, Office of Energy Resources. “This will be the second round of participation for all three towns, which is a testament to the effectiveness of this program and shows that town leaders and residents are enthusiastic about doing their part to build a clean energy future in RI.”
“The expansion of Solarize RI provides a great opportunity for residents and small businesses to lower their energy bill, while at the same time ramping up the state’s green energy efforts,” said Rhode Island Commerce Corporation President Darin Early. “Lowering energy costs and accelerating the use of green technologies are key components in our strategy to bettering the business climate and quality of life for all Rhode Islanders.”
Three new municipalities were selected through a request for application process to participate in the Fall round of Solarize – Barrington, Bristol and South Kingstown will be kicking off their programs on October 27th and residents in all three municipalities can sign up to participate in the program starting immediately. Municipal representatives from each community and their chosen installers will be present for a kick-off event at the Kingstown Free Library on October 26th at 1pm.
“Now more than ever it’s important to Solarize,” said Brian F. Keane, President of SmartPower. “Each day we are seeing the tragedies of climate change as our fellow citizens grapple with the results of major hurricanes and wildfires. Solarize offers each of us an opportunity to be a part of the solution while helping our own communities and our own households.”
Solarize Rhode Island is a community-based outreach campaign that seeks to increase the adoption of small-scale solar electricity in participating communities through a competitive tiered pricing structure that increases the savings for everyone as more home and business owners sign contracts. Now in its third year, Solarize Rhode Island, a partnership between the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER), the Commerce Corporation, and the non-profit marketing firm SmartPower, has led to more than 595 residents and business owners in 15 municipalities signing contracts for small-scale solar electricity systems.
In addition to Rhode Island residents and businesses signing up for Solar, the campaign educates hundreds and even thousands more Rhode Islanders about the economic and environmental benefits of solar electricity, energy efficiency and other clean energy technologies.
Barrington, Bristol, and South Kingstown ran successful Solarize campaigns in 2015 and 2016 resulting in over 100 new solar installations combined.
“The Town of South Kingstown is excited to be participating in its second round of the Solarize Program.” said Stephen A. Alfred, Town Manager, “We felt this program was extremely successful during our initial participation in the Fall of 2015. This new round of Solarize will raise awareness of opportunities to adopt renewable energy systems on residential and commercial properties and provide local citizens with additional cost savings.”
Kate Weymouth, Vice President of the Barrington Town Council stated: “The Town of Barrington is pleased to be part of the second round of Solarize RI, the first round was a great success with 45 contracts signed. We are eager to work with the employee owned, RI-based solar installation company, Sol Power, and look forward to increasing the number of Barrington households with solar energy capabilities.”
“The Town of Bristol is excited to be selected to participate in the next round of the Solarize Program.” stated Town Manager, Steven Contente. “This partnership with the RI Office of Energy Resources is a great opportunity and gives residents easier access to renewable energy. This is Bristol’s second time to be selected and we look forward to seeing continued interest in the program by our residents.”
Upcoming events, open houses and information tabling in each community will be scheduled in the coming weeks. For more information about these events, to sign up or find out more about Solarize RI contact Malinda Howard or Karen Stewart at: 401-215-3285 or go to www.solarizeri.com.
About Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources
The Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (OER) is the lead state agency on energy policy and programs. OER’s mission is to lead Rhode Island to a secure, cost-effective, and sustainable energy future. OER works closely with private and public stakeholders to increase the reliability and security of our energy supply, reduce energy costs and mitigate price volatility, and improve environmental quality. www.energy.ri.gov
About Rhode Island Commerce Corporation
The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation is the official economic development organization for the state of Rhode Island. The Commerce Corporation’s mission is to work with public, private and non-profit partners to create the conditions for businesses in all sectors to thrive and to improve the quality of life for our citizens by promoting the state’s long-term economic health and prosperity. The corporation manages the state’s Renewable Energy Fund, which provides grants and loans for renewable energy projects with the potential to make electricity in a cleaner, more sustainable manner, while stimulating job growth in the green technology and energy sectors of Rhode Island’s economy. www.commerceri.com
About SmartPower
SmartPower is the nation’s leading non-profit social marketing firm dedicated to promoting clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Named the “Best Non-profit Marketing Firm in the US”, SmartPower’s mission is to help Americans make smart energy choices by creating on-the-ground campaigns that engage the public and generate measurable energy actions. www.smartpower.org