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Spotlight on Members

Sarah Brock (formerly Simonds)

Sarah, newly married, is the Vital Communities Energy Program Manager.. Through her work, Sarah provides support for the Upper Valley's 35+ local energy committees and 20+ businesses engaged in Vital Communities’ Corporate Energy Work Group. In 2014, Sarah led the launch of Solarize Upper Valley, a program that has since engaged 23 towns in helping hundreds of Upper Valley homes switch to solar energy. 
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What is your background in energy work?
I got my start in energy work while completing my undergraduate degree at Middlebury College and working with a team of other students to design and build a net zero house for the 2011 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition. After graduating with a degree in architecture and environmental studies, I joined the High Meadows Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation where I focused on grantmaking and convening in the areas of energy and transportation. Today, I live in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and run the energy program at Vital Communities, a community-based nonprofit serving the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire.

What does your organisation do to support local energy action in NH?
Vital Communities brings people together to take on issues that matter in the Upper Valley. In our energy-focused work we collaborate with individuals, towns, and businesses to move our region closer to state energy goals in both Vermont and New Hampshire. Our Upper Valley region is home to nearly 40 town energy committees. Over the past two years, we doubled the number of solar homes in the Upper Valley through our Solarize Upper Valley program. 

What makes you passionate about this work?
New England is home to the oldest housing stock in the country, and often the coldest winters and highest heating costs. We are vulnerable to the slightest hiccup in the global oil markets. We sit shivering under blankets on cold winter nights to avoid turning up the thermostat. It doesn't have to be this way. Investments in energy efficiency and local, renewable fuel sources strengthen our local economy, reduce our vulnerability to volatile fossil fuel markets, and improve overall quality of life. Not to mention reducing our impact on the environment and our contribution to global climate change. I envision a fossil-free future for New England within my lifetime and I'm committed to helping make it so.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not busy working to support clean energy in NH?
I serve on the board of COVER Home Repair, a nonprofit based in White River Junction, Vermont, that completes urgently needed home repairs for families across the Upper Valley. When I'm not working with COVER, I spend my time, hiking, baking bread, and reading.

What is your pie-in-the-sky sky vision for NH’s energy future (if anything were possible!)?
As I said, I envision a fossil free future for New Hampshire within my lifetime. 
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Contact:
Info@nhenergy.org
Local Energy Solutions Work Group
We are here to provide guidance and resources to help local energy groups implement successful energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to make their communities more sustainable.
​
​NHEnergy.org and Local Energy Solutions are coordinated by Clean Energy NH.

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  • LES Work Group
    • About Us
    • Work Group Members
  • LES Projects
    • Conference
    • Renewable Energy Tool Belt
    • Newsletter >
      • July 2020
      • Summer Community Power Update
      • June 2020
      • March 2020 >
        • City, Town, County leaders form CPNH
      • January 2020
      • December 2019 >
        • Community Power Puzzle
      • October 2019
      • September 2019 >
        • Hanover Leads on Clean Energy
        • EE Relationship Managers
      • Summer 2019
      • May 2019 >
        • Spring, Solar in Lancaster
      • April 2019 >
        • John Stark HS Woodchip Boiler
      • March 2019 >
        • Offshore Wind Workforce Opportunities
      • February 2019
      • January 2019
      • December 2018
      • November 2018 >
        • GSS Solar Field
        • Solar Electrician Apprenticeship
      • October 2018 >
        • Derry 86kW Solar Array
        • UNH Biomass Boiler, Froling
      • September 2018 >
        • Littleton COOP Efficiency
        • Solar & Squam Lakes Assoc.
        • September Job Postings
      • August 2018
      • July 2018 >
        • NH State of Charge
        • Claremont Solar Saves $1 Million
        • NH Solar Shares Receives Grant
      • June 2018
      • May 2018
      • April 2018 >
        • View from the North Country
        • Claremont Municipal Champion Award
      • March 2018 >
        • Newport, Sunshine Town
        • Utility Streetlight Tariffs
      • February 2018 >
        • Dover Saves $ on Energy Upgrades
        • Liberty Utilities Energy Storage
        • Phillips Exeter Solar Array
    • Webinars
    • North Country Programs >
      • Weatherize North Country
      • Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for North Country Businesses Webinar
      • Shelburne, NH's Success in Energy Efficiency and Solar
    • For Local Energy Committees
    • Benchmark NH
  • Resources
    • Community Power in NH
    • NH Energy Dashboard >
      • Regional Energy Hubs
    • Case Studies >
      • EE Case Studies
      • Solar Case Studies
      • Biomass Case Studies
    • Events Calendar
    • Energy Policy
    • Energy Planning
    • Benchmarking & Tracking
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Renewable Energy
    • Transportation
    • Climate Resiliency & Adaptation