Phillips Community Energy Cooperative

July 13, 2009

Hello members:

Today I write to you to inform you of organizational changes that are taking place within the cooperative.  Some background, first.

The PCEC grew out of an original project at The Green Institute called “the biomass project”.  The Institute established a Community Energy program continuing the Green Institute’s tradition of working on the development of model projects to further its mission of “sustaining the environment and our communities through practical innovation”.

From 2004 onward, there has been a conscious effort to expand the Community Energy program beyond just the biomass project, into a broader range of activities that would focus on urban renewable energy and innovative energy efficiency solutions. Furthermore efforts to reduce barriers for renewable energy/energy efficiency, not only in the Phillips neighborhood but throughout the larger community were implemented including the formation of the Phillips Community Energy Cooperative (PCEC).

The founding of the PCEC then set about providing energy efficiency services to the low-income residents of the neighborhood. At the same time it became an equity partner with the Green Institute in the biomass project. The co-op adopted the vision statement: Significantly lower energy costs and increase the use of clean energy across Phillips.

Since 2004 the Energy Cooperative has garnered over 1800+ members and has provided the following services: we have distributed over 8,600 compact fluorescent light bulbs, weatherization kits and water saving devices, replaced 665 window air conditioners, 271 refrigerator and 92 dehumidifiers and performed 53 central air conditioner tune-ups totaling 890,380 kWh and $173,107 in annual energy savings. Through these programs the PCEC has touched over 4,000 households in the Phillips community.

Meanwhile, the biomass facility was not accepted as a viable project for the Phillips and surrounding neighborhoods to pursue. The Energy Co-op went on to continue its conservation services and do strategic planning. The PCEC developed a “Neighborhood Energy Plan.”

In 2008, the PCEC received a Climate Change Innovations grant from the City of Minneapolis in the amount of $10,000 to pilot an outreach campaign and series of workshops around basic energy conservation and weatherization for low-income households and renters.  Through this grant we signed up 756 new members to the MN Energy Challenge pledging to save $135,049 and 1,550, 208 lbs. of  CO2. The PCEC received another one of these grants in 2009, this time to do community energy block club organizing, bringing neighbors together for home energy conservation workshops and resource-sharing.

At the same time, in the past year The Green Institute has helped over twenty communities with energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, has partnered with construction skills training and job placement programs including Goodwill-Easterseals and the American Indian OIC, and has planned an expansion of energy conservation programming and clean energy research and development.

Where we are today:

The Board of Directors of the PCEC has approached the Board of Directors of The Green Institute to accept our Neighborhood Energy Plan and re-integrate PCEC products and services into the Community Energy programming already occurring at The Institute.  Because of the original 1993 history of The Green Institute being a fulfilled dream after a 12-year struggle with Hennepin County about building a garbage transfer station at 28^th and Hiawatha, it seems only natural for these two organizations to merge and reaffirm their commitment to the Phillips community and the larger metropolitan area.

Over the next few months members of the PCEC Board of Directors will be visiting the 4 Phillips neighborhoods to explain our current proposal for this “re-integration” and your affirmation of The Neighborhood Energy Plan.” We will ask for YOU, the members, through your neighborhood groups to encourage The Green Institute to adopt this proposal as a springboard for deeper services to the Greater Phillips Community.  We, of the PCEC Board, firmly believe our home is at The Green Institute and The Green Institute’s home is in the Phillips community.

We will keep you informed as these decisions move forward in both organizations and thank you for your patience and support in meeting our mission to provide the Phillips neighborhood with energy conservation, weatherization and renewable energy services.

You are invited to attend your neighborhood meeting during August and express your support for this proposal.  Those meetings are:

West Phillips             August 6^th          Lutheran Social Services (24th St & Oakland Ave)

EPIC (East Phillips)    August 10^th        Holy Rosary Catholic Church (24th St & 18th Ave)

Midtown Phillips        August 11^th        Anderson School (12th Ave & 27th St)

Ventura Village          August 12^th      Trinity Lutheran Church (13th Ave & 19th St)

In Cooperation,

Annie Young

Chair, PCEC Board

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The Phillips Community Energy Cooperative (PCEC) is an urban energy co-op, working to promote energy-efficiency in the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis. The Coop was incubated by the Green Institute beginning in 2003 and recently became its own independent organization as of January 2005.

The PCEC is committed to bringing affordable energy-efficient products and services to Phillips community renters, homeowners, landlords, and small businesses.

Energy saving products should be an affordable option for everyone and not a luxury. The PCEC helps its members save money on their utility bills. Together, members and PCEC staff work to democratize the energy industry, demand better customer service from the local utility, promote cleaner and safer energy production, and make our community a healthier place to live and work. For more information or to become a Coop member, please contact Julia Eagles, PCEC Manager, at 612.278.7120.