Across the country, the demand for energy is rising rapidly.  Yet, despite known negative implications for our environment, we still allow more than half of the total energy produced in the U.S. to go wasted due to inefficiencies. [1]

The City of Cambridge wants to help change this, and as part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate change action, we have pledged our intent to compete in the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize.

The Prize kicked off at a two-day conference in Washington, D.C. on April 23, 2014. At the event—which officially opened the competition’s Application Phase— The City of Cambridge was announced as one of more than 50 communities who have signed letters of intent to compete for the Prize. Meghan Shaw, the Community Outreach Director for the Cambridge Energy Alliance, attended the launch of the competition—there she is in the Indian Treaty Room of the White House, fifth from left in the middle row, with other competitors:

As a competing community, we join other small- to medium-size towns, cities, and counties that will develop and implement creative, sustainable, and replicable strategies to save energy. Here’s a map of the other communities that have also pledged to compete:

During the current Application Phase, we will work collaboratively with local stakeholders to develop an energy-saving plan that will not only deliver financial benefits to residents, but will also help ensure the long-term sustainability of our community. Most importantly, we aim to design a plan that other communities can replicate—so that we can all do our part to increase our nation’s energy independence.

The Application Phase—which ends on June 30, 2014—will be followed by Quarterfinals, and Semifinals, and will conclude in 2017 when one winning community is awarded a $5 million prize purse for use on energy efficiency programs. More information about each of the competition’s four stages is available at www.guep.org/rules-timeline.

Stay tuned for more details on the Prize, the City of Cambridge’s energy-saving plan, and to learn how you can support our efforts. In the meantime, please stay connected with us through this blog, our Facebook page, and Twitter @CambEnergy.

We are excited to get underway in the competition and we look forward to elevating the City of Cambridge as a national leader of energy efficiency efforts in America.

Help us get there! For questions about the Prize or if you would like to get involved in the effort, please contact Meghan Shaw at outreach@cambridgeenergyalliance.org.