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Northern Rural Energy Network begins outreach; free home energy kits and rebates available
Summary
Mendocino’s Northern Rural Energy Network (NREN) staff announced a public rollout of equity programs, including free energy efficiency kits for residents, phone‑based home assessments and a rebate program. Staff said in‑person outreach will start this month at community events.
Program staff for the Northern Rural Energy Network told the Mendocino Council of Governments on June 2 that the county‑wide clean energy initiative is entering public rollout with three offerings: an equity‑focused energy kit distribution, a rebate program for larger upgrades and signups for home assessments.
Orion Walker, NREN program manager, said the NREN website (northernwren.org) is live and that staff will begin community outreach later in June, including presence at county events such as Frontier Days in Willits. Walker said the program’s initial focus is outreach and education and recruiting residents for the rebate and assessment programs.
Richard (Rich) Felice, NREN program specialist, described the free energy efficiency kit that will be distributed under the equity program. The kit — retail value roughly $90, staff said — includes LED bulbs, weather‑stripping and a smart power strip, among other small measures. Felice said the kit can yield meaningful savings for households and that staff will also provide advice and referrals to deeper home‑assessment and retrofit programs. Staff said the kits will be drop‑shipped to residents who sign up online and that more comprehensive in‑home assessments will be offered later this summer.
Program staff emphasized the equity priority for the initial distribution and said they will coordinate with local partners and vendors. The board received the informational briefing; no board action was required.
