Recharge Rockland’s The Energy of Everything! speaker series hosts presenters from local organizations who are experts in energy in its different forms. The Energy of Everything! invites the community to explore all types of energy – from Maine’s energy future to energy in personal relationships – while sharing information on current opportunities for energy efficiency and electrification.
Each speaker event of The Energy of Everything! is hosted in-person, in the Community Room at Rockland Public Library.
The Energy of Everything! will return in Fall 2024: Check back soon for a speaker lineup!
Past Speakers
Recharging Through Human Connection
Diane Sternberg, Trekkers
Drawing from the effective techniques that Trekkers uses in its youth programming, this workshop explored the benefits of building intentional relationships. Close connections with people of all ages provide a support system that encourages individuals to grow, learn and explore new possibilities. Attendees examined the types of relationships people need to thrive and boosted our energy by engaging in activities that help build new relationships with each other.
Energy Efficiency in Maine: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How?
Ross Anthony, Maine Governor’s Energy Office
Maine Won’t Wait is Maine’s four-year climate plan packed with actionable strategies and goals to emit less carbon, produce energy from renewable sources, and protect our natural resources, communities, and people from the effects of climate change. This climate action plan identified that heating, cooling, and lighting of buildings are responsible for almost one-third of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions. Maine is a national outlier for its overreliance on delivered fuels with 58% of homes relying on fuel oil (i.e., heating oil and kerosene) for home heating compared to 4% nationally, making it the most residential fuel oil dependent state in the country (US EIA). Furthermore, Maine has an aging housing stock of roughly 550,000 homes, with over half of owned and two-thirds of rented dwellings built in 1960 or earlier suffering from energy inefficient weatherization (US ACS). Energy efficiency and beneficial electrification are important and economical tools to reduce energy costs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, manage energy demand, and create clean energy jobs. Efficiency improvements in energy consumption for heating, cooling, weatherization, appliances, and lighting technologies can aid in reducing energy needs, costs, and associated emissions.
During this presentation, Ross Anthony, who serves as the Buildings and Energy Efficiency Analyst for the Maine Governor’s Energy Office, provided an overview of energy efficiency and beneficial electrification initiatives, policies, programs, and goals. This presentation included a particular focus on heat pump, weatherization, and heat pump water heater benefits, incentives, and environmental impact.
Exploring the history of electric transportation
Warren Kincaid, Owls Head Transportation Museum
Lead by Warren Kincaid, Ground Vehicle Conservator at the Owls Head Transportation Museum, attendees learned about what electric cars looked like a century ago. This event featured discussion of the development of the first electric powered vehicles, dating all the way back to the late 19th century. In the early days of car manufacturing, there was a battle between gasoline, steam and electric to dominate the market. Attendees learned about in a unique era of transportation history and became familiar with current financial incentives for electric vehicles.
