| For upcoming meetings, visit this website's Events page or the calendar at the CIGoGreen website. |
Please note that this page is no longer regularly updated. For news, visit the Cape & Islands Energy Information Clearinghouse.
Cape
& Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative switches its abbreviated
name to CIRenew from CIREC
December,
2007
CIREC
Becomes Local NESEA Chapter
October,
2005
(membership info)
CIREC
Organizes First Major Local Energy Conference
September,
2005 (conference
website)
CIREC
Receives New Grant Award to Promote Green Power
August, 2005
CIREC
Receives Funding for Cape & Islands Energy Outreach and Education
August, 2004
CIREC
launches "Beyond Cape Wind" Stakeholder Process
March, 2004
CIREC
Receives Funding for New Website: Cape
& Islands Energy Information Clearinghouse
August, 2003
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) has awarded a $20,000
grant to the Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative (CIREC)
to provide individuals and communities with information on the risks and
rewards associated with alternative approaches for transitioning to a
clean, green energy future. (Press
Release, PDF format, 104KB)
Research Center Receives Award for Wind Turbine
Permitting, Installation
May, 2003
CIREC-founding member Woods Hole Research Center has received a grant
in Round III of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust's Green
Building Initiative. The grant is intend to assist the Research Center
with the permitting and installation of a 100kW wind turbine as the final
element of its "High
Performance Building".
Six CIREC Participants Oppose Moratorium on Offshore
Energy
February, 2003
Six CIREC participants issue joint statement opposing moratorium on offshore
energy development (the statement is not an endorsement of Cape Wind;
it reflects the opinions of the signatories regarding the National Environmental
Policy Act process, not of CIREC as an organization or of other CIREC
participants). Full text available as
PDF file - 100KB.
Self-Reliance Receives Grant for PV Installation
Program
October 10, 2002
CIREC-founding member Cape & Islands Self-Reliance Corporation received
funding from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust's Solar-to-Market
Initiative to install 100 one kilowatt grid-tied
photovoltaic systems on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard over the next
two years.
CIREC Participates in Offshore Wind Public Outreach
October 1, 2002
CIREC has been invited to participate in the "Cape and Islands Offshore
Wind: Public Outreach Initiative" sponsored by the Massachusetts
Technology Collaborative (MTC) under the state's Renewable Energy Trust
Fund. CIREC is one of 24 organizations identified as key stakeholder groups
in the local debate regarding offshore wind energy development. Representatives
from these stakeholder groups, along with elected officials and representatives
from local, state, and federal agencies, will convene in a collaborative
inquiry process brokered by the MTC. The process is intended to provide
a constructive forum for stakeholders with diverse viewpoints to collect
and share information and communicate it to their constituencies and the
broader public.
The MTC hopes to improve all stakeholders' understanding
of the wide range of potential impacts and opportunities surrounding the
proposed Cape Wind project for Nantucket Sound, as well as other wind
energy development proposals. More information is available from the MRET.
WHRC receives Green Building grant
June 13th, 2002
 |
| WHRC director George M. Woodwell (l.) and MRET Director Robert L. Pratt survey newly installed PV panels on the roof of the Research Center's new Ordway Campus. |
The photovoltaic array, located on the roof of the building, will provide approximately 41 percent of the building’s total anticipated power consumption or 37,000 kWh of electricity annually. The energy monitoring system will measure the usage of energy throughout the building and electricity production by the photovoltaic array and other renewable energy technologies. The monitoring system will serve as the centerpiece of the Center’s educational efforts on renewable energy. (More information on the Center’s building project available at their website)
Falmouth, Barnstable take steps to counter global warming
May 15, 2002
Two Cape Cod towns have officially joined the ranks of hundreds of other local governments worldwide dedicated to slowing the process of global warming. On April 22, Falmouth's Board of Selectmen gave their stamp of approval, while on May 2, Barnstable's Town Council likewise voted in favor of joining the Cities for Climate ProtectionTM (CCP) campaign. Each of these towns found the campaign's objectives to be closely aligned with energy related and environmental goals outlined in their respective Local Comprehensive Plans.
At the core of the CCP is the town's agreement to complete a five-step program of greenhouse gas emissions identification and reduction.
| 1. conduct an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions for all sectors of the town | |
| 2. determine an emissions reduction target | |
| 3. complete a climate action plan to reach the reduction target | |
| 4. implement the climate action plan | |
| 5. monitor and report on the results |
The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), sponsors of CCP, is a organization that assists local governments with issues related to sustainable development. The CCP Campaign was established in 1993, and strives to provide a framework for cities committed to reducing their local greenhouse gas emissions. Over 400 municipalities currently subscribe to the campaign and together account for approximately 8% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions globally.
For more information on the CCP, please contact Diane M. Rielinger, Research Translator, Waquoit Bay National Research Reserve, at Diane.Rielinger@state.ma.us.