2021 Renewable Energy of Community Webinar Series Recordings

Please find recordings of our 2021 Renewable Energy of Community webinar series below.

Energy Trends and Transformations

Featuring Katherine Hamilton, co-host of popular podcast The Energy Gang, and Josh Ryor of CT PURA.

Environmental Finance

The second webinar in the 2021 Renewable Energy of Community Webinar Series featured: Jeffrey R. Diehl, CEO and Executive Director of Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank; Wayne Cobleigh, CPSM, Vice President – Client Services with GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.; Dr. Rebecca French, director of the new Office of Climate Planning at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; and Joyce Coffee, LEED AP, founder and President of Climate Resilience Consulting.

Clean Tech in CT: A Sandbox for Local Innovators

The third webinar in our series featured: Marissa Gillett, Chair, Public Utilities Regulatory Authority; Matt McCooe, CEO, Connecticut Innovations, Inc.; Pete Londa, J.D., M.B.A., President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director, Tantalus; Dr. Christina Lampe-Onnerud, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Cadenza Innovation, Inc.; and Dan Nadav, CEO, Enviro Power.

Financial Innovation: Ways to Invest in the Green Economy

On April 14, 2021, the Connecticut Green Bank’s presented our fourth webinar in the Renewable Energy of Community series focused on “Financial Innovation – Ways to Invest in the Green Economy.” This webinar featured moderator Eric Shrago, Managing Director, Operations, Connecticut Green Bank, and guests Matthew Moroney, COO and Co-Founder, Raise Green; Monica Reid, Owner and Principal Consultant, Kestrel Consulting Inc.; and Abe Salorio, Community Outreach Manager, Sustainable CT.

Earth Day Webinar

On the 51st Earth Day (April 22, 2021), the Connecticut Green Bank presented the fifth webinar in this series. It featured special introductory remarks from Gina McCarthy (White House National Climate Advisor), and panelists Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Coventry Town Manager John Elsessor, and Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove. The Green Bank’s Emily Basham was the moderator.

Energy Affordability: Obstacles and Solutions

Energy affordability is a pressing issue, consistently affecting household budgets in Connecticut and the region. Hosted by the Green Bank’s Matt Macunas, Legislative Liaison & Associate Director of Transportation Initiatives, and featuring: Alycia D. Jenkins, Sierra Club; Stefanie Keohane, Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA); and Brenda Watson, Operation Fuel, Inc.

History of Environmental Justice in America and the Frontlines of Climate Justice Today in Connecticut

The July 22 webinar “History of Environmental Justice in America and the Frontlines of Climate Justice Today in Connecticut” featured keynote remarks by Deeohn Ferris, President of the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), on the history of Executive Order 12898 “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations,” and a panel discussion with Lonnie Reed, Chair of the Connecticut Green Bank, Rep. Geraldo Reyes (75th District – Waterbury), John Harrity (Chair of the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs), and Brenda Watson (Executive Director of Operation Fuel) on the issues in Connecticut today on climate justice.

Legislative Debrief

Our August 10 webinar featured a panel of non-profit policy advocates speaking on several key initiatives at the intersections of energy, environment, labor and housing. Guests were Aziz Dehkan, Executive Director and Lead Organizer, CT Roundtable on Climate and Jobs; Melissa Kops, Architect, City of New Haven Department of Engineering, Board Member of CT Green Building Council; Robert LaFrance, Policy Director, Audubon Connecticut; and Amy McLean, Senior Policy Advocate and Connecticut Director at Acadia Center’s Connecticut office, with the Green Bank’s Matt Macunas, Associate Director of Legislative Affairs and Regulatory Policy, as moderator.

Our September 30 webinar featured speakers from three very successful community projects in Connecticut funded through Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund. These projects are the green roof project at Westville Nursery School (presented by Matt Desfosses, treasurer of the Westville Community Nursery School); the Bridgeport Film Festival (presented by Jason Coombs, actor, filmmaker and teaching artist); and the Sterling Street Sanctuary (presented by Kamora Le’Ella Herrington, Founder and Visionary, Kamora’s Cultural Corner).