COOPERATIVE PARADIGM: GOING GREEN & SUSTAINABLE! ZEC LIFE

North Carolina's 26 electric cooperatives are pledging to cut their carbon dioxide emissions in half by 2030 and many other Zero Energy Communities pledge to reach net-zero by 2050!

The North Carolina co-op network’s new “Brighter Future” long-term effort brings together the co-ops’ continued support for local communities with sustainability measures and expanding innovation that strengthens the grid, coordinates distributed energy resources, and provides new energy services and a variety of benefits to members.

“Electric cooperatives are leading a wide range of economically sound, innovative energy solutions and advanced technologies that make the electric grid more flexible, efficient and resilient than ever before,” said Nelle Hotchkiss, chief operating officer and senior vice president of association services at North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives, the Raleigh-based statewide association and generation and transmission co-op.

An electric cooperative is a private, nonprofit organization owned by its members or customers. Its principal purpose is to deliver electrical power to the members living in its service area. Electric co-ops are an alternative to commercial utility companies and are governed by an elected board of directors. In short its the people literally taking back their power from uncaring corporate entities!

The growth of cooperatives nationwide makes sense as AI is expected to take over 40 percent of US jobs by 2050 or sooner so that number is ingrained in corporate structures as the tipping point where a major portion of their consumer base will be off grid unless energy is as affordable as home solar systems. The pandemic made people pause in their lives and think, using critical thinking while the media is far behind and seen as less reliable than social media that can be researched immediately allowing the user to see the truth in real time!

Mainstream media sometimes supports sponsors who seemingly foment division when it comes to the general public utilizing common sense and critical thinking. Green and sustainable energy is one way to take control of your basic needs instead of focusing on what the media asks you to acquire. Net Zero is one of the most important goals to attain, in the fight against climate change. The fear of the petro-pharmaceutical dollar futures, is that there could be an exponential growth of Net Zero communities.

Especially as the technology becomes more affordable and a necessity because of the disenfranchisement of a majority the American blue and white collar workers, farmers, manufacturing, automotive repair, and construction industries! This decline would create an American serf class and destroying the merchant class by takeover and movement of currency into a digital format under governmental control. Simultaneously urging migrant populations to fill the volunteer military is a recipe for disaster as historically we see the fall of Rome was directly caused by reliance on foreign mercenaries in the military and a Senate that could be bought legally.

A net zero-energy community (ZEC) is one that has greatly reduced energy needs through efficiency gains such that the balance of energy for vehicles, thermal, and electrical energy within the community is met by renewable energy. Building and living green is becoming increasingly popular both from a financial and human perspective, and cities around the country are starting to embrace the idea of sustainability-friendly communities. As you’ll see in this list of six net-zero homes and communities in the United States, there are many ways builders go about achieving optimal sustainability.

Kaupuni Village in Oahu, Hawaii is the state’s first community of zero-energy homes. The 19 single-family homes and a community center are built with sustainable materials, natural ventilation, and Energy Star-compliant appliances. In addition to the zero energy homes themselves, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) has helped incorporate a culture of sustainability. Community residents are trained in the use of sustainable agricultural methods such as aquaponics and dry fishing. For more than a thousand years, native Hawai‘ians practiced sustainability as a way of life. Deeply rooted in respect for the land, air, and water, these ancient cultural practices made this beautiful Pacific archipelago a bustling, self-sustainable community.

Today the Hawai‘ian Islands are still bustling but are far from being self-sustainable. In fact, Hawai‘i is the most oil-dependent state in the United States with more than 95% of its energy supplied by imported fossil fuels. This makes its economy extremely vulnerable to oil price fluctuations, and residents and businesses continually struggle with sky-high energy costs. Construction costs for the average home in Kaupuni Village: $303,000, including the solar photovoltaic (PV) system (1,5,6,33 God Eternal In the Body).

With subsidies from the federal Native American Housing Assistance Self Determination Act, families in Kaupuni Village paid approximately $260,000 for a 4-bedroom home and $212,000 for a 3-bedroom. Each home is designed for maximum energy efficiency and utilizes renewables to reach net-zero energy performance. Energy efficiency measures in a Kaupuni Village home reduced energy consumption more than 40% over a standard-built baseline home. Growth of communities like this is what was threatened by recent mysterious fires in Oahu!