visitors since October 2008

Orange town energy committee

For the committee's bibliography of climate- and energy-related books for kids, click here.

2009 Annual Report

For the Orange committee's 2009 annual report, click here.

2008 Annual Report

At the end of 2007, the Orange Selectboard voted to set up an ad hoc energy committee. This ad hoc committee is not selected by the Selectboard but still works with the town. Several people agreed to be on the ad hoc committee, and Steve Adam, a selectboard member, agreed to work with the committee. The other members include: Pat Larson, resident; Robert Haigh, Butterfield School principal; Diane Salcedo, Moore-Leland librarian, Paul Kaplan, elementary school music teacher, and Sandra Warren, resident.

The Ad Hoc Town Energy Committee for Orange met four times during the winter and spring starting in February, 2008. We spent time discussing ways to do some educational programs in the elementary schools and to support the collaborative effort with 15 other towns and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments to contract with an ESCO. Our spring project included supporting recycling of ink cartridges and cell phones being carried out by the elementary schools to raise money for computer equipment in the schools. This effort to collect ink cartridges and cellphones was publicized in June to get more people turning in items. Boxes were set up at the Orange Transfer Station and at the town hall. People are responding to this effort.

We completed the application to DOER for audits on all town owned buildings and submitted the application to the state at the end of January. Also Rick Kwiatkowski, the town administrator, worked with FRCOG and other towns to select an ESCO to work with towns. At the end of June Siemens was selected so we are waiting to see how all these things come together.

At the May meeting Dick Hall, who is on the building committee for the Tully Fire Station in N. Orange, spoke to the energy committee about how they hope the new fire station will have solar hot water and will also include other energy efficient and energy conservation items. The building committee for the North Orange Fire Station is currently working with the architect on these issues. Committee members also met with the manager for the Waste Water Treatment Plant to learn about their energy use.