Pope Agrees, Progress for Our Community by Mike Jacobs, Chairman of Vineyard Power

Photo (below) of Martha's Vineyard Boys & Girls Club new solar array.

Did Vineyard Power Coop receive an endorsement in the Pope’s encyclical letter?

Paragraph 179 champions just what we are doing:

"In some places, cooperatives are being developed to exploit renewable sources of energy which ensure local self-sufficiency and even the sale of surplus energy."

We need you

Can you support Vineyard Power Coop as we continue to promote sustainable energy development for the island?  We come to you, our friends and neighbors now with a list of successes and a plan for action. We have succeeded so far with members’ initial contributions, a few gifts and loans from supporters, and earnings from our solar projects.   But as we grow into our next phase, we need volunteers and contributors.

We have crossed some serious thresholds, and we need help to solidify these gains.

We now have 5 completed solar projects up and running, making energy on the island, most recently adding solar at the Boys and Girls Club (see photo above).

We have guided comments to the U.S. Dept of Interior for the creation of an auction for an acceptable offshore wind development area, and the recognition of a community benefits agreement with Vineyard Power.

We have partnered with a successful bidder in obtaining a lease http://www.vineyardpower.com/offshore-windstarting 12 miles south of the island.

We are in the midst of a legislative campaign on Beacon Hill to enable more renewable energy projects, including offshore wind, to go forward the way we want - "Community Empowerment".

Join us. Start here.

A bigger base

For Vineyard Power to gather its members’ support for more on-island solar and new offshore wind 12 miles to the south, we need to broaden our base.

Our legislative campaign for Community Empowerment and requirements for an offshore wind portfolio, requires that we be known to state representatives and senators.  We’ve been to Beacon Hill to testify in support of bills for offshore wind and for democratic action on more renewable energy. www.communityempowerment.org

To keep the community engaged with siting and permitting offshore wind, we need to be known to island residents and homeowners.

To negotiate for windfarm jobs and a financial stake in the windfarm, we need build new alliances, joint ventures and partnerships.

New stage for all of us

Our work to create renewable energy that benefits the island and reflects the choices of the island community is at a new stage. We need to publicize the opportunity created by our partnership with a leaseholder. We need to express the community interest in jobs, ownership, and benefits from locally-owned renewable energy. We need to secure the jobs, ownership, and benefits from offshore wind 12 miles to the south.

Already a member? Want to do more? In past years, we have met our budget with grants, gifts, loans, and even fees from completing solar projects.

Membership and gifts make these happen. Contributions provide returns, from tax deductions to interest on loans, to equity for member/owners.

Call us at 508-693-3002 to talk about this sort of help, stop by our office, located at 322 State Road in Vineyard Haven, or e-mail us at info@vineyardpower.com