Vermont has a major moral imperative and economic opportunity over the next five years to achieve our 2025 energy and emissions reduction commitments in ways that “create a more just, thriving, and sustainable future” for Vermonters.
That is why asked for your pitch for promising opportunities to help Vermont rapidly, cost-effectively, and equitably reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas pollution.
The deadline for 2020 pitch submissions was Monday, August 31, 2020.
NEW! Action Teams
In order to ensure that selected pitches lead to concrete action, EAN staff will provide network members with support, from organizing and facilitation of meetings to financial resources, to form Action Teams. Action Teams allow network members to work together to co-create the best strategies for moving us toward achieving our mission.
Those who submit a pitch are committing to work on moving it forward throughout the year, with support from EAN staff. Stipends will be available to support the leaders of this work.
We envision three levels of Pitches/Action Teams, designed to both build capacity for work that is already underway in our network, as well as shepherd a new idea from conception to implementation:
- Level One teams are assembling a diverse group of people who want to work on a particular issue, refining ideas, and ensuring that stakeholders most impacted by the issue are part of the co-creation of strategy.
- Level Two teams work together to create a campaign plan, draft a grant proposal, complete necessary research, or create some other body of work.
- Level Three teams are beginning to implement collaborative strategies in support of our mission.
Staff support looks different at each level as well. See more below (Thanks to the RE-AMP Network for the Action Team model):
| Level One Action Team | Level Two Action Team | Level Three Action Team | |
| Purpose | Gather people, information, insights. Generate and refine ideas. | Co-create strategies or oversee a focused piece of research that can make a major stride toward VT’s goals and achieving our shared mission. | Implement strategies in support of our mission. |
| Outcomes | A diverse team, inclusive of representatives of impacted communities, with a clear area of focus around which to co-create strategy for achieving our mission, or oversee research necessary to improve our analysis.
Additionally, one outcome is learning, shared with the rest of our Network. |
A written campaign plan; a grant proposal; a research design; report; or a toolkit. Additionally, one outcome is learning, shared with the rest of our Network. |
Strategy is implemented with ownership by one or more member organizations. |
| EAN Staff Support | Scheduling and logistic support;
Agenda-building and facilitation support; Potential stipends for co-chairs or key participants
|
Scheduling and logistic support;
Agenda-building and facilitation support; Potential stipends for co-chairs or key participants; Potential modest funding for research, planning, etc. |
Staff support to help find funding for implementation, etc.;
Assistance with business planning; Connection to other network members and partners, publicity, etc.; Modest seed/ match funding |
You do not have to have members of an Action Team identified to submit a pitch.
Additionally, you do not have to be a representative of an EAN member organization to submit a pitch. EAN staff will help ensure that selected pitches are supported by members and partners who can move them forward, and Action Teams can (and in some cases should) include participants from outside the network as well.
However, joint pitch proposals from multiple network organizations are encouraged and priority will be given to pitches with multiple network members already committed – especially for Level 2 and Level 3 pitches.
Selected proposals will be invited to present at the EAN 2020 Network Summit on Thursday and Friday, October 1 and 2, to be held virtually. The summit will serve as an opportunity to identify Action Team members and get advice/feedback from network members at the outset of the process, even if they are not going to be involved throughout.
Pitch Selection Criteria
EAN’s mission is to achieve Vermont’s 90% renewable by 2050 total energy commitment and to significantly reduce Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions in ways that create a more just, thriving, and sustainable future for Vermonters.
With that mission in mind, we are seeking strategic interventions in the energy system that will:
- Promote energy equity – that all people should have access to reliable, safe, and affordable sources of energy; protection from a disproportionate share of negative impacts or externalities associated with building and operating our energy supply and distribution systems; and equitable distribution of and access to benefits from these systems.
- Provide significant reductions in fossil fuel use and GHG pollution from energy, particularly focusing on the thermal and transportation sectors
- Create a stronger and more just Vermont economy
- Encourage growth in the number of clean energy jobs in Vermont
- Help Vermonters become more energy-secure and resilient
- Support an energy landscape that both benefits from and protects our natural resources and working lands
- Have committed leadership from multiple network member organizations
EAN approaches our work together through five strategic leverage areas to enable systemic change at a scale and pace necessary to achieve Vermont’s energy & emissions commitments:
- Policy & Regulatory Reform
- Public Engagement
- Workforce Development/Workforce Re-Training
- Technology Innovation
- Capital Mobilization
Pitches were due Monday, August 31, 2020.
