Who says a small town can’t make a big impact? Milan, a town of 300 in West Central Minnesota, has modeled a program after the University of Delaware’s “Sustainable Energy Utility Model” (SEU). As one participant noted, the program encourages you to “recoup your investment in energy efficiency.”
The Sustainable Energy Utility Model “is an independent and financially self-sufficient entity responsible for delivering energy efficiency, energy conservation, and customer-sited renewable energy to end users.” Modeled after the SEU, Milan brought energy efficiency education to its residents, coining it the Greater Milan Initiative.
Their three-tier plan included community education workshops, assistance with implementing low- and no-cost energy efficiency upgrades, and sharing results and workshop materials broadly across the town.
“Knowledge is Power,” was a series of four educational workshops open to 20 Milan residents and covered the areas of energy basics, electricity bills, weatherization, and evaluating domestic energy use. These workshops presented crucial information and energy-saving tips to the participants and provided opportunities for hands-on activities in the area of energy efficiency. Among the topics broached were where energy comes from, understanding how to read energy bills and utility meters, and the process of reducing energy consumption.
One participant was surprised by “the number of energy hogs” that can be found in the home, and another expressed dismay at “how much electricity is lost from the coal field to the light bulb.” This community-based energy project focused on the community it was serving, providing residents with applicable knowledge and techniques. Milan’s SEU program aimed to vocalize the sentiment that energy efficiency is feasible for its residents and that it will soon prove to be a sound investment.
