How to make energy efficiency projects more accessible to all homeowners

By Evan Dawson,

Published October 4, 2023 at 2:36 PM EDT

(foreground) Susan Kwik, Eric VanDusen, (background) Elizabeth McDade, and Shinita Hlywa on "Connections" — (foreground) Susan Kwik, Eric VanDusen, (background) Elizabeth McDade, and Shinita Hlywa on "Connections with Evan Dawson," on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.

Geothermal, solar, heat pumps... those kinds of home improvement projects are often viewed as being only for the wealthy. A program in Rochester aims to make home energy projects available for people in all income brackets. It's called RENEW: Rochester ENergy Efficiency and Weatherization.

This hour, we talk with a homeowner who has benefited from RENEW, and we discuss who's eligible, how it works, and what kind of projects are part of it. Our guests:

Cynthia, local homeowner who has benefited from the RENEW program
Shinita Hlywa, director of the Energy Conservation Program at Action for a Better Community
Susan Kwik, home rehabilitation administrator at PathStone Corporation
Elizabeth McDade, director for the Rochester ENergy Efficiency and Weatherization (RENEW) program at Rochester Area Community Foundation Initiatives, Inc.
Eric VanDusen, community impact manager for ESL Charitable Foundation