Featured Portfolio News News
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has approved the installation of an I-GO Car Sharing solar-powered charging station for two electric vehicles at the park and ride lot adjacent to the Brown Line Kimball El station. This is the first solar-powered charging station announced on CTA property.
I-GO recently announced its groundbreaking electric vehicle project that will add 36 all-electric vehicles to its fleet and 18 solar charging stations to provide 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.
“CTA has long supported initiatives that reduce emissions and promote sustainability—two main goals of the transit services we offer,” said CTA President Forrest Claypool. “Car sharing is a great complement to public transit.” Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, I-GO, Transportation and Community Development | 1 Comment »
Friday, December 9th, 2011
Gov. Patrick Quinn today announced a major partnership and conservation initiative that will significantly increase natural green space and strengthen the economy in the Lake Calumet area located south of Chicago. The Millennium Reserve is the largest open space project in the country, which will enhance public recreation opportunities in 140,000 acres of land in the Calumet region. Today, Governor Quinn announced the start of the Calumet Core phase of the effort, which involves restoration of 15,000 acres of open space.
“This important project will convert an industrial area into valuable open space that gives area families a place to gather, play and experience the great outdoors,” Gov. Quinn said. Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, 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 »
Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Dynamic pricing, made possible by the smart grid, allows consumers to buy cheaper power.
If the results of an Ameren Illinois program is any indication, the electric grid modernization components of the bill approved yesterday by the Illinois General Assembly could enable consumers to reap savings on their electricity that will more than offset the bill’s estimated $36 per year price tag for households.
The downstate Ameren program, made possible by the smart grid technology that will become widespread as a result of the new law, has saved more than 11,000 customers an average of 25 percent on the cost of their energy supply compared to what they would pay on a standard rate plan. The savings translates to nearly $200 on average savings per year, with typical households paying around $100 per month before switching to the program. Program participants have saved more than $4 million since it began in 2007.
“The smart grid can facilitate the use of smart rates that save people real money,” said Anne Evens, director of CNT Energy, which administers the Ameren program. “Based on our experience, when grid modernization technology is combined with clear, ongoing customer education, it can help customers make good choices about their energy use and take control of their utility bills.”
Read more »
Posted in Energy, Featured Portfolio News | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
A new CNT study shows that Portland is well-positioned to pilot a tree asset management program that would lay the groundwork for turning its tree canopy into a bondable asset, similar to bridges and roads. The study identified six steps through which Portland—and other cities—can create an effective tree asset management program. The study also provides several case studies of other cities that are attempting to turn their trees into assets.
Tree Asset Management in Portland, Oregon is available here.
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, Natural Resources | No Comments »
Monday, October 24th, 2011
This joint CTA/I-GO smart card is the only one in North America that provides access to public transit and car sharing vehicles.
“I-GO sees itself as a form of public transportation that provides the last mile solution for the CTA.” That’s the good word from reporter John Skelly, Jr., writing about I-GO’s partnership with the CTA for Northwestern University’s Medill Reports.
The article describes the motivating factors behind the 2008 development of the Chicago Card Plus/I-GO Card, a joint smartcard offered by I-GO Car Sharing that lets its members access both I-GO vehicles and CTA trains and buses. There are about 1,800 cards in circulation. The result: cost savings across transportation modes and a progressive re-thinking of how public transit can fit within a mixture of services to better meet the needs of a metropolitan population.
Read more »
Posted in Featured Portfolio News, I-GO, Transportation and Community Development | No Comments »
