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All around Vermont, communities are seeking to become more resilient and thrive in a changing world and climate.

VCRD’s Resilient Communities Program supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action solutions that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy use, increase climate resilience, and/or strengthen the local climate economy. Services are adaptable based on the community’s needs and can include support with community engagement processes, strategic planning, technical assistance, and/or project implementation.

If you are interested in applying and learning more, please fill out the short application form so that we can be in touch to discuss your exciting ideas. Applications are open for 2025 and will be considered on a rolling basis until January 7th, 2025, if interested Apply here.

Criteria for selecting communities to partner with in 2025 will include a mix of following:

  • Energy burden mitigation
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or increase renewable energy consumption
  • Collaboration, representation, and equitable engagement across diverse stakeholders (including the municipality)
  • Increase human, built and natural resilience
  • Engage partners willing to assist with implementation
  • Strengthening the local climate economy – jobs created, revenue, revitalization
  • Appreciation that a vibrant climate economy should directly address the challenges faced by low-income household community members
  • Interesting problems that can model solutions for other towns
  • Connection to utility efficiency and renewable energy programming and scalable opportunities
  • Leveraging grant funding opportunities

Eligibility Requirements and Selection Criteria

Eligibility Requirements and Selection Criteria

VCRD will select and partner with a community committee, organization or leader working on local climate action solutions. Projects must have a place-based community as their focus (an individual or group of town(s), village(s), or other municipal entity).

Criteria for selecting communities to partner with include a mix of the following:

  • Energy burden mitigation
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or increase renewable energy consumption
  • Collaboration, representation, and equitable engagement across diverse stakeholders (including the municipality)
  • Engaged partner willing to assist with implementation
  • Increase human, built, and natural resilience
  • Strengthening the local climate economy – jobs created, revenue, revitalization
  • Appreciation that a vibrant climate economy should directly address the challenges faced by low-income household community members
  • Interesting problems that can model solutions for other towns
  • Connection to utility efficiency and renewable energy programming and scalable opportunities
  • Leveraging grant funding opportunities

Eligible Entities

Eligible entities include town or volunteer committees or groups, (Energy Committee, Planning Committee, or community serving non-profit/volunteer groups). All selected projects must have a letter of support to begin work (but not required at the time of application) from the town selectboard/trustees.

Possible Program Services

Program services could include, but are not limited to:

  • Facilitation and Community Engagement Services:
    • Technical assistance for designing a community engagement process
    • Facilitation of events, meetings or other relevant convenings
  • Communication and Outreach Planning:
    • Communication outreach/education planning around climate economy initiatives
    • Communication strategy for specific populations and stakeholders
    • Identifying and engaging diverse stakeholders
  • Strategic Planning:
    • Strategic planning for a climate and/or energy related committee or organization around a relevant topic such as energy infrastructure or transportation
    • Vision and goal setting
    • Identifying and prioritizing action steps toward implementation of goals
    • Community energy, buildings, transportation, and/or other asset and shortcoming mapping and assessment
    • Community Resiliency Hub strategic planning and assessment
  • Project Implementation Support Services:
    • Assist in developing baseline energy usage and generation data to provide communities with grounding as they set energy targets
    • Funding resource identification and fundraising support for an existing energy project
    • Action steps outlined including partner connections for technical assistance such as municipal building energy efficiency and weatherization, alternative heating/cooling systems retrofits, and/or community renewable energy development.

For example of past Resilient Communities, please see the following reports at the following links:

Barre Up Report -September-October 2023

White River Valley Region Report and Action Plan – September 2023

“Sharon Connects” Report and Action Plan – July 2023

As another example of services, VCRD facilitated a prioritization process with the Energy Coordinator based at the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission and the energy committees of the six towns he works with. VCRD and the Energy Coordinator co-developed a process to focus and ultimately prioritize the joint work for the Town Energy Committees over the next year. After an online survey to individuals that ranked 18 action ideas, the next step was an evening gathering that included robust conversation around the top 10 action ideas. Through an interactive prioritization process, the group distilled the Town Energy Committees’ collective work to focus on the Residential Building Energy Standard and a ​Climate Action Guide for residents and businesses. The Town Energy Committee representatives left the meeting energized, united in their priorities, and with momentum to work together on the regional approaches to reducing energy use in their communities. Conversations between VCRD and this group are ongoing as needed to identify additional access to resources and support for the successful implementation of their projects.

Feel free to contact Laura Cavin Bailey, Climate Economy Program Manager, at [email protected] or (802) 234-1646 with any questions.

“VCRD was an invaluable resource as we worked to prioritize the actions identified in our Climate Action Plan. They helped us thoughtfully determine the two actions, out of a plan with almost 70, that the six participating towns would collaborate on over the coming year. Without their expertise, we would probably still be trying to figure out where to start! Instead, we have begun to confidently move ahead with implementation.”

Geoff Martin, former Intermunicipal Regional Energy Coordinator based at the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission