The Climate Transformation Alliance, in collaboration with the North Tahoe Chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL) and 100% Renewable Truckee, will host a webinar on "Community-Led Thermal Energy Networks: Learning from Vermont" as part of its series for community leaders and the general public on "How to Electrify Buildings in Truckee Tahoe."

The webinar will feature Debbie New, Coordinator and Founder of Vermont Community Thermal Networks. New is a teacher and anthropologist by training. She has coordinated coalitions and working groups dedicated to decarbonization of the thermal sector. She launched Vermont Community Thermal Networks (VCTN) in 2022 to advance local thermal energy network (TEN) solutions in Vermont. An organizer, facilitator, and writer, much of her work involves leading action-oriented initiatives, creating supporting materials, and translating technical information for decision-makers, advocates, and the public.

VCTN provides information and learning opportunities to engage Vermonters around the many benefits of TENs (sometimes also called "networked geothermal"), explores community-based models and ownership structures to help communities maximize the potential of these local energy systems, and works to explore and demonstrate the feasibility of TENs and how to finance community-based TENs projects.

VCTN's toolkit "How to Develop a Thermal Energy Network: A Practical Guide to Adding Thermal Energy Networks to Decarbonization Plans for Your Community" is widely recognized as a uniquely useful resource for communities exploring TENs.

"One of the challenges for utilities these days is how to plan for enough green electricity at an affordable price as they race to meet renewable portfolio standards and the increasing demand and competition for electricity," said Deirdre Henderson of 100% Renewable Truckee and CCL. "TENs, which rely on heat that exists at a constant year-round temperature in the ground, can replace some of the need for additional electricity capacity while providing efficient and cheap heating and cooling to buildings."