The Current—our region’s local currency—has been in circulation since 2014. Since it started flowing, over 1.6 million Currents have been exchanged between member businesses and individuals. Together we are able to keep our money in our communities when we buy local and support each other’s businesses and endeavors. Sign up for a free account at hudsonvalleycurrent.org and start exchanging today with over 300 members.
Mid Hudson Energy Transition is a five-year-old nonprofit on a mission to empower municipalities, residents, and businesses to own and share renewable energy, create healthier buildings, and join in community wealth-building.
First incorporated back in 2020, MHET didn’t have full-time staff until 2023. Since then, they’ve been building an impressive track record with creative, practical programs designed to build our collective well-being and resilience. Tired of high electricity bills? Signing up for their Community Solar program is free and simple, and guarantees a discount on your bill. Wish you had more efficient appliances? Low- and moderate-income homeowners, and renters who pay their own utility bills, can qualify for free induction stoves and heat pump water heaters; renters can also qualify for portable heat pumps.
For more extensive projects, households earning up to 80% of the Area Median Income (currently $83,900 in Ulster County) can apply for Home Upgrade Grants that include project management, energy assessments, contractor coordination, grant assistance, and government incentives to deliver free and immediate improvements. There’s also the HELP program, offering 2% APR loans for eligible projects up to $15,000 — anything from remediation of mold, lead and asbestos issues to window replacement and other energy-efficient upgrades. There’s no minimum credit score needed to apply, and free project management support is part of the package.
“We’ve built these programs one by one, in response to community need,” says Jasmine Graham, who transitioned from board member to Executive Director in 2023. “We started with Community Solar, which offers people up to 20% discounts on their electric bills Then people were telling us they’d love to do sustainable upgrades but they didn’t have the time, money or expertise, so we developed programs for grants and non-extractive loans that included free project management.”
MHET starts by helping homeowners to navigate available grant programs from state and federal agencies, then taps into its own considerable resources to offer grants and loans They’re building an impressive track record: 300 households have enrolled in community solar, with 89% of them low-income folks who will receive the full 20% electric bill discount. Last year, 64 households received HUG grants, up from just 8 the year before. The loan program, the newest component, has closed on two loans so far and also offers a hyper-local investment opportunity: Community Notes, which allow moderate-income people to loan money to the program and get a 4% annual return.
Philanthropy and partnering with local visionaries are making the effort possible at scale through what Graham describes as an integrated capital stack. “It’s not reactive to what’s going on federally,” says Graham. “People are saying that money for sustainability is drying up, but we actually have a pretty good model that’s working out well for all concerned.”
In keeping with its hyper-local mission, MHET is a proud Hudson Valley Current member. “Everyone who makes three months of payments on their HELP loan on time will be rewarded with some Currents to spend,” says Graham. “That money stays local. We’re finding ways to be as holistic as possible in our program design. None of the issues people face happen in silos, so neither can our solutions, you know, absolutely to, like, integrate currents into our program.
As the HELP program ramps up and outreach begins to target businesses as well as homeowners, MHET’s plans include agrovoltaics. to provide passive revenue streams for small farmers, and studying the possibilities of shared geothermal networks. To get in on the action in whatever way fits your situation, visit mid-hudson.energy or call (845) 338-1050.