Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch Energy Project
LOCATION:
Elgin, AZ
ORGANIZATION:
Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch of the National Audubon Society, Inc.
GRANT AMOUNT:
$24,200.00
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN PROJECT
The Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch, an 8,000 acre sanctuary and ecological research facility in southeastern Arizona, and its partners, the Sonoita Crossroads Community Forum, Cienega Watershed Partnership, and Audubon Arizona are dedicated to changing, upgrading, and plugging in—to alternative energy.
As a state with abundant sunlight, significant wind resources, and reasonable access to other options including bio-fuels, Arizona is an excellent candidate to lead the switch to alternative energy. However, the U.S. lacks models that offer guidance for rural energy efficiency and renewable energy development of this scope.
The partnership will develop a grassroots educational network that facilitates information exchange and encourages individual conservation actions to both save money and reduce dependence on fossil fuel consumption.
The aim is to receive commitments from 25% of local home and business owners to install renewable energy systems that will produce at least 2kW each or to increase the energy efficiency of homes and businesses through technology upgrades, within two years.
By taking simple conservation steps, enhancing energy efficiency, and making the switch to alternative energy methods, businesses and residents will save money, significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the environment at large. And perhaps even more importantly, their experiences will be documented as a formal case study through an Apacheria Fellowship, so their efforts will serve as a model for other rural communities, taking in-depth energy conservation far beyond Arizona.