Communities for Local Power formed in 2012 to fight the takeover of Central Hudson by Fortis, Inc. We lost that fight, but we were not dissuaded; it just made our work for a local, clean energy economy all the more important. We participate in regulatory rate cases to hold Central Hudson accountable and tackle issues of affordability and climate resilience head on.

We also run our Empower Kingston program, to help train a clean energy workforce. This Kingston-based paid program places trainees with local employers for four weeks of hands-on work experience and mentoring, rotating among different worksites, where they learn solar panel installation, heat pumps, and geothermal energy systems, indoor air quality, and energy auditing. Applications are now open for our July and September cohorts.