CERTs has helped Winona with everything from performing an energy blitz in the downtown to providing information on energy topics.
In his time at Winona, the project that left the strongest impression on John was a collaborative effort of Home Energy Squad visits for people with low income. During visits, they completed energy audits, provided equipment such as faucet aerators, and executed services including water heater tune-ups at no cost. Winona County, CERTs, and the Jefferson Center for Democracy all pitched in to support the home visits through funding, pilot programming, and implementation. By the end of the project, they reached 140 residences to help them save energy. John feels that this project continues to be one of the most successful for Winona due to its large impact.
John emphasizes that energy work is critical, and “energy production has a really high environmental footprint. Greenhouse gas emissions are one, water usage is another, resource extraction is a third, and air pollution from burning fossil fuels too have a lot of impacts in localized settings.” His desire to reduce those impacts and to limit climate change led to his focus on clean energy.
Looking to the future, the City of Winona is making progress towards finalizing a sustainability plan. Additionally, they are advancing electric vehicle initiatives and infrastructure, and exploring upcoming Minnesota Pollution Control Agency grants.
