News from the Charlotte Energy Committee

Rebecca Foster, CEC chair

The Charlotte Energy Committee (CEC) is excited to announce its new website. The new site breaks down a vast amount of information into easy sections, using photos and charts for support. Few people realize what a variety of issues are related to energy—from composting and tedious-sounding policy targets to the better-known energy issues of weatherization and solar power.

Jr Lewis on Ferry Road installing the sign that the CEC got from VTrans to point the way to the electric vehicle charger at Town Hall. VTrans also installed signage on Route 7, so now there’s no missing it! Photo by Rebecca Foster
Jr Lewis on Ferry Road installing the sign that the CEC got from VTrans to point the way to the electric vehicle charger at Town Hall. VTrans also installed signage on Route 7, so now there’s no missing it! Photo by Rebecca Foster.

The website was a collaborative effort with each of our committee members helping to generate content. Our designers were two students from Oberlin College who were on a “covid semester” doing internships like this one. As environmental studies majors, the students jumped at the internship opportunity, and, perhaps like many their age, they also turned out to be expert at web development. Learning how to communicate concepts around climate change and energy is a fundamental skill that we all practiced together in the months it took to complete the site. Now we have an easy-to-use platform for all of CEC’s activities, and the students have a tangible work product they can point to for years to come.

Try an e-bike
Have you ever wanted to try an e-bike but found the cost out of your range? The CEC is excited to announce an e-bike voucher program that makes e-bike trials accessible to everyone. Coordinating with the Charlotte Library, the CEC has purchased 20 free 1-4 hour rentals of a Local Motion e-bike that are good through early October. The library is managing reservations, so contact them directly for more information. It’s a great opportunity to learn what the e-bike buzz is about and share your experience with the CEC!