2012 Montana Host Sites
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Is your organization working with energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, or community energy solutions? Are you looking for passionate individuals to provide service in your organization? Consider becoming an Energy Corps host site. |
Are you interested in energy conservation, national service and making a difference in your community? We are accepting applications for Energy Corps AmeriCorps positions. Members will be placed in host organizations in communities throughout Arkansas, Iowa, Montana and Pennsylvania. |
Butte, MT
1. Butte-Silver Bow City/County
- Assist in the development and implementation of an energy and sustainability plan for Butte-Silver Bow County;
- Coordinate an internal analysis of energy costs and consumption in all government buildings;
- Review existing energy upgrades including lighting retrofits and boiler upgrades;
- Assemble community task force to assist in development of county sustainability plan;
- Provide community education and outreach to communicate county sustainability goals.
2. National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)
- Assist with Wind for Schools project, facilitating small wind demonstration installations and associated curriculum at rural schools in Montana;
- Assist with the presentation and implementation of home energy savers workshops and presentations around the state;
- Work on energy monitoring feedback program to disadvantaged residents as part of the home energy workshops;
- Help coordinate NCAT's sustainability and carbon reduction plan;
- Develop and distribute energy related education and outreach materials;
- Assist with sustainable energy outreach through the Montana Green Power website and newsletter;
- Assist with the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a program that helps low-income households pay their home heating and cooling bills.
Havre, MT
- Conduct education, outreach and tours of the Bio-Energy Center laboratories and facilities to the public;
- Assist with biodiesel workshops across Montana;
- Work hands-on, producing biodiesel from Montana-grown oilseed crops for use by the North Central Montana transit fleet and BNSF railroad;
- Promote the Bio Energy Center services and projects through information and outreach;
- Model environmental education and community-selected stewardship activities in pre-K through Grade 6 programs in rural areas such as Havre, Blackfeet Reservation, Fort Belknap Reservation, and Rocky Boy's Reservation;
- Interview key educators in rural and tribal communities on local environmental issues and needs to identify culturally sensitive approaches for environmental education;
- Implement on-going, school-based stewardship initiatives in 4 locales, supported by facilitation and technical assistance;
- Promote replication of environmental education, community decision-making, and stewardship initiatives throughout region.
Helena, MT
- Coordinate the Lewis and Clark County Green Team to educate county employees about energy conservation strategies, recycling at county facilities, reducing environmental impacts of products purchased and promote sustainable transportation;
- Coordinate and provide support for the Citizen Conservation Board to oversee and advise the county's efforts to conserve resources within county operations and throughout the community;
- Assist with implementation of greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals identified in the Helena Community Greenhouse Gas Assessment;
- Educate the public about the tri-county small business efficiency program which offers free energy and water audits to encourage small businesses in Lewis and Clark, Jefferson and Broadwater Counties to make energy and water efficiency upgrades;
- Compile energy conservation resources for inclusion on the county's Green Team website and maintain a website which highlights city and county planning and conservation achievements;
- Catalogue best practices and methodologies for cities and counties across Montana to complete climate action plans and greenhouse gas inventory assessments.
6. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
- Develop a plan for three pilot projects that address sustainable energy practices at all levels of Parks Division;
- Pilot projects will emphasize reducing energy and water consumption in state parks, improving fuel efficiency in fleet vehicles, improving solid waste management and increasing the purchase of recycled and sustainable products;
- Assess existing facilities and operational practices and identify areas of need and opportunities for improvement;
- Assess existing and potential partnership opportunities to advance the goals of the sustainability plan;
- Develop an education and outreach component to integrate energy and natural resource conservation messaging in visitor centers and programs.
Missoula, MT
- Consult appropriate city staff to identify and compile existing or planned measures intended to conserve energy or reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
- Collaborate with the steering committee and appropriate city staff to compile and research other potential conservation or greenhouse gas reduction strategies relevant to the City of Missoula's operations;
- Coordinate with appropriate city staff and equipment vendors to identify implementation costs and projected savings for both planned and potential new measures;
- Prioritize new measures according to feasibility and cost/savings analysis;
- Establish a regular reporting system to quantify municipal energy usage and emissions on a quarterly or annual basis;
- Draft an Action Plan that reflects the research and prioritization listed above;
- Communicate with the Mayor's office to publicize both the planning process and work product so that it can serve as an example and inspiration to other communities, institutions, and businesses in the Missoula area.
8. homeWORD
- Optimize building system performance of affordable rental housing through continued tracking and analysis of energy and water use;
- Coordinate homeWORD's annual resident evaluations and analyze results to determine where outreach or education is needed;
- Update and expand homeWORD's "Guide to Green Living" handbooks;
- Collect information for homeWORD's organizational greenhouse gas assessment;
- Assist in the expansion of homeWORD's real-time energy monitoring on all properties;
- Upon the implementation of expanded energy monitoring systems, create tenant incentives/challenges to promote energy conservation;
- Help with residential and commercial tenant outreach around homeWORD's LEED-registered project;
- Assist with the implementation of a new Green Cleaning Plan that conforms to LEED standards;
- Update homeWORD's preventative maintenance logs as necessary and track maintenance orders to ensure work is being completed on building systems;
- Assist with increasing the energy efficiency of homeWORD's newest rehab projects in Anaconda, Great Falls, Malta, Butte, Havre, and Cut Bank;
- Interact with tenants and public about social impacts of sustainable practices.
