News for November, 2011
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011
I-GO, Chicago’s nonprofit car sharing organization, has launched a $2.5 million electric vehicle project that will add 36 all-electric vehicles to its fleet and 18 solar charging stations providing clean power to its cars. Once completed, I-GO will have the largest electric vehicle fleet in the Midwest, and it will use more solar power to charge electric vehicles than anywhere else in the country.
I-GO is today announcing the locations of 11 solar-powered charging stations throughout the Chicago region, including several JEWEL-OSCO stores, the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Village of Oak Park, the City of Evanston, and Uncommon Ground restaurant. The remaining seven locations will be announced soon. The canopies will be installed in early 2012.
Read more »
Posted in I-GO, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Bank of America has awarded the Energy Savers program $8.5 million to expand the number of energy efficiency retrofits it finances. Energy Savers, a partnership between CNT Energy and the Community Investment Corporation (CIC), is the nation’s premier one-stop service for energy efficiency retrofits in multifamily buildings. CNT Energy provides the energy audits, oversees construction, and monitors post-construction energy bills to maximize performance. CIC provides the low-interest financing that reduces the upfront costs of efficiency upgrades for owners. The program helps preserve affordable housing by keeping energy costs low, and it reduces global warming emissions by reducing energy use. Read more »
Posted in Energy, Featured Portfolio News | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
CNT President Scott Bernstein has co-authored a “big idea” in the “Big Ideas for Jobs” policy brief released by the Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor & Employment, part of the University of California-Berkeley. The brief and more details can be found at www.BigIdeasforJobs.org.
The essay by Bernstein and Center for Wisconsin Strategies Director Joel Rogers argues for finding new ways to invest public and private capital to fund much-needed infrastructure improvements that will create jobs while strengthening communities. The authors cite two case studies as models for public-private investment—the Los Angeles plan to finance and expand its transit service in 10 years over the typical 30 and the Energy Savers program in Chicago that provides a revolving low-interest loan fund for energy efficiency retrofits of multifamily apartment buildings. Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
Workshop participants discuss how families can save money by reducing their carbon footprint.
Last week, 11 community leaders who provide financial education and homeowner counseling spent two days in a “train-the-trainer” workshop learning how to incorporate CNT’s Equity Express Green Financial Education into their programs.
Once clients have defined their financial goals and begun to keep track of their expenses, the next step is to determine how they can save money on their limited income. One option is to make smarter consumer choices.
Equity Express is a six-session curriculum that focuses on ways people can save money in the areas of energy, transportation, telecom, and food, which together represent 40 percent of a typical family budget. By making smarter consumer choices, former Equity Express workshop participants have decreased monthly expenses from $20 to $200 per month.
Read more »
Posted in Climate, Equity Express, Featured Portfolio News | No Comments »
Friday, November 4th, 2011
Livability Solutions is now accepting applications for free technical assistance.
Applications are now being accepted from local, regional, state, and tribal governments and community-based organizations for free technical assistance in implementing smart growth initiatives. Up to 12 recipients will receive a two-day workshop with members of Livability Solutions, a partnership among CNT and 10 other organizations, who have expertise in planning projects that protect the environment, improve public health, facilitate job creation and economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life. The application deadline is November 22, 2011, and grantees will be announced on December 22, 2011.
Please visit Livability Solutions for the complete details.
Posted in Climate, Featured Portfolio News | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011
Energy Impact Illinois—a partnership of government, utilities, and nonprofits to help residents, businesses, and non-profits reduce energy use—has launched a personalized energy calculator and financial resources for Chicago area homeowners to help them make energy efficient improvements to their homes. The tools will educate homeowners on their current energy usage, provide information on how to make smart energy efficiency investments and connect them with financial resources to make those investments a reality.
The energy calculator, known as “MyHomeEQ” and developed by CNT Energy, is a unique customized web tool that gives users real, up-to-date information on their home energy usage. The tool is a simple process that tells a user how they use energy, what can be done to lower utility bills while improving energy efficiency, and how to connect with the right resources and contractors needed to implement those actions.
Read more »
Posted in Energy, Featured Portfolio News | No Comments »
