• We have to develop a better relationship with our researchers – need for policy makers to connect with researchers
• “What does developing and implementing measures actually mean?”
  • Simply saying “measures” is confusing 
  • Around production, is there technology research that we can do?
  • “Prepare Rhode Islanders’ to make energy choices that foster sustainable energy production, efficiency, and conservation.” – Better wording
  • Offering programs . . .

• Who is the target audience in RI for energy literacy?
  • Target audience is too broad. This needs to be addressed. Is the focus:
    • Students? – catch them when they are young
    • Businesses?
• Do you go to different chambers of commerce for business?
  • Community Action Partnership (CAP) agencies
  • School committees
  • Planning department staffs
  • Department of Public Orders
  • Utility – can tell you what the verticals are for RI and who has the most pull
  • Find the gaps in what the National Grid is doing and fill them
  • Identify the niche community groups that are “non-traditional”
  • Solarize focused on the economic aspect – which is important to talk about
    • Using the backdrop of “what does clean energy look like”
    • Important to understand the pinch point for the audience that we go after and pin point all the common drivers
      • Resiliency is a broad and important topic that needs to be worked on
        • There is a firm called Kleinfelder – forecasting what could potentially happen –Good partner
  • “Social Peer Pressure” – focusing on organizations that do a lot (taking part in our program) and they will be recognized along with benefits for everyone who take part in the program 
  • Having people sign publically – holds them more accountable 
  • Engaging small businesses has been a challenge – making it easier for them to pay attention to 
• How much do people need to know? What is the core information that we want the public to know? What would be the most beneficial?

Priority audiences:

• What is missing is: One-on-one discussions with important decision makers
  • Possibly get one of the town managers to talk to others and set up individual meetings
    • We would play the role in convening
• We should try to have energy fellows track energy data
  • Three fellows are a team and they work for South Kingstown in Warwick, Westerly, etc.: Could be a model for Extension’s tech assistance role in the future

Potential partners:

• RI Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council has a mandate to educate public about energy issues 
• RI Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (EC4)- has state wide goals (broad audience) 
• Civil engineering firms can weigh in 
• Private business community needs leadership around energy
  • Fellows could have a role in this
• Associations
• Farmers
  • There are a lot of efficiency and renewable programs for farms, but are not taken advantage of because they need technical assistance
  • Find a way to make it easier for farmers
  • Provide information for tech – supports literacy
  • Extension could work as a third party to verify proposed packages
  • Waste streams need to be utilized
    • Anaerobic digestion needs to be utilized

• “Behavioral change” – Sometimes this turns people off when saying that they must change their behavior
  • May be better to change wording: Possibly “occupant engagement”
• How can we change behavior around?
  • Commercial property assessment
  • Giving people tangibles – what can they relate to?
    • Connect back to saving money
• Have to understand what exact behaviors we are trying to change first
• Must achieve items on the energy plan and statewide goals of EC4
• Extension could engage small businesses in and around South Kingstown
• Must have a concentrated area/ focus
  • For example: energy and conservation in agriculture, they what?
    • Rely on National Grid to tell: Who is the biggest end user?
• Trying to engage other big users
• Need for URI faculty to develop research
  • Need for a map of where all 3 phases is located and how it could be expanded to benefit farms
• Efficiency updates for farms

• Sub-goal 3 & 4: Educate the public on policies, not just the issues
• What are the workforce gaps that need to be filled?
  • Commerce RI handles questions such as: What do you want people to do? What skills would you like graduates to have?
• Aren’t many programs/majors that focus specifically on Energy
  • Lack of energy management training programs
• Understanding facilities and systems / system background is important
• Wide variety of skills that are looked for, but not exactly fulfilled because of lack of teaching
  • Program design and management skills are important

• Is there currently an energy and sustainability “living laboratory”?
• Climate Action Plan should be utilized as a learning tool (might be expired currently)
• Using our own facilities to showcase more energy efficiency things that have already
  been done