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Success Stories

“This is Home” – A Family Finds Their Forever Home in Calais, Maine

One of the first rooms Heather Gagne and her daughters began redecorating in their new home is the dining room, shown in the top photo. They have been busy repainting and making other updates. Raising a family in coastal Machias, Maine may sound lovely, but for Heather Gagne recent years proved stressful. There were few housing options in the Downeast community, and Heather was glad to find a rental home to…

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Search Results: 28 Stories
Fish Lake Valley is surrounded by the White Mountains in southwest Nevada, and this is where the PACE project will be built. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. Photo by Valley Electric Association. 

Fish Lake Valley is Making Clean Energy Upgrades to Minimize Electrical Outages

Valley Electric Association, a community-driven cooperative in Pahrump, Nevada, applied for a Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) award to provide a solution during hot summer blackouts. Fish Lake Valley is a remote, primarily agricultural community served by a single-… [Read More]
Nevada
Man standing in front of Desert Aire Hotel sign

REAP Grant Helps Hotel Go 100 Percent Solar

While many companies build new hotels for efficiency, the Classic Desert Aire Hotel in Alamogordo, New Mexico, built in the 1950s, was not. Despite that, the hotel’s large roof recently offered an unexpected benefit for sustainability.“This property was built almost for solar —… [Read More]
New Mexico
A woman stands in a farmers' market booth with a Precipice Coffee banner behind her and coffee displayed on the table in front of her. The tent is green and encloses the scene.

Little Roaster Avoids a Big Stink with Clean Technology

Precipice Coffee is roasted in the company's small Ellsworth location using a zero-emissions Bellwether Coffee roaster, pictured here.  Early in the process of establishing their new coffee business, Maggie Iannuzzi and her husband… [Read More]
Maine
Man standing next to world's largest pistachio

Sun Powers Production Next to World’s Largest Pistachio

When Thomas McGinn and his son, Tim, moved from Southern California to the desert of New Mexico in 1980, Thomas was looking for a change. He wanted to get back into farming and get out of his job working in food production for big factories.He purchased land for a farm and built… [Read More]
New Mexico
Owner Gary and manager Eric of Replenova Farm pose inside the farm store, with shelves of local foods arrayed behind them.

Solar Energy Helps New Farm on the Road to Financial Sustainability

Retired biochemist Gary Goodrich founded Replenova Farm in 2015, after decades spent growing healthy produce as a pastime. He had sold his Portland biotech company and was ready to dive into organic farming. In 2019 he purchased land and relocated the farm to Durham, Maine,… [Read More]
Maine
woman and man holding book at coffee shop

Empowering Coffee in Puerto Rico

Globally, more than a billion people count on coffee to power their day.  In rural Puerto Rico, USDA Rural Development is helping a small family-owned business power some of that coffee. Thanks to a $110,240 USDA Rural Development’s Rural Energy for America Program (… [Read More]
Puerto Rico
A woman wearing denim overalls stands in a green field with flowers in the foreground and solar panels and trees in the background.

REAP at the Junction of Farming and Clean Energy

When Eileen Flanagan and John Cochrane moved to Vassalboro, Maine and founded their farm, Junction Garden LLC, they knew they had a lot to learn about diversified agriculture in Maine. As they developed their market farm and growing business, one goal stood out: “We were very… [Read More]
Maine
A woman stands in the lobby area of a small gym in rural Colorado. A teal colored sign with a skull and wing logo for Catacombs Fitness Collective is displayed on the wall behind her.

Sunny Southwest Colorado Gym Owner Adds Solar to Support Community Spirit

Tracie Holcomb, the owner of Catacombs Fitness Collective in Durango, Colorado, has continually sought ways to enhance her gym’s role as a community cornerstone. “Our motto is fitness and community,” says Tracie. “We think if people have a safe space where their friends are,… [Read More]
Colorado
Celine Leavitt stands in front of an outbuilding at her overnight stay guest accommodations in rural Colorado. The building has solar panels mounted on it. In the background is Sleeping Ute Mountain.

Clean Energy Powers Ancient Echoes

When Celine Leavitt and her wife Allison Troxel visited McElmo Canyon near Cortez, Colorado, they felt an unmistakable connection to the land. After camping for a single night at the serene space called Ancient Echoes at Kelly Place, both agreed the “for sale by owner” sign was… [Read More]
Colorado
Photo of Walt and Deidre Iciek of Taraanthon Cattle

Michigan Dairy Cuts Electricity Costs by up to 90 Percent with REAP Grant

Dairy cows and sustainability have always been a part of Deidre Iciek’s life. As the oldest daughter of two veterinarians, she grew up around animals, large and small, from the time she was born. After high school, she majored in environmental studies at Michigan State… [Read More]
Michigan