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August 2011

How the Cooperative Fund of New England
Supports Clean Energy

Launched in April of 2010, Energía, LLC is bringing energy efficiency to western Massachussetts.

As a service provider for both residential and commercial properties, Energ ía has spent the last year and a half saving energy and saving money for its clients, by conducting energy audits and installing numerous energy upgrades, such as high-performance insulation, Energy Star appliances, energy-efficient light fixtures, thermostat controls, and more.

The first year of business was a great success. So, bolstered with a line of credit from the Cooperative Fund of New England, Energía has been able to expand in 2011 to include renewable energy installations like solar hot water heaters and solar photovoltaics. The company has also been able to expand its services to larger clients, such as local universities like Mount Holyoke, Smith College, and Williams College.

The Energia team working on an insulation upgrade project at Mt. Holyoke College.

“By drawing off the line I had with them already, we’ve been able to bring on our third crew of workers,” says Tom Rossmassler, president of Energía, who notes that the expansion means four new jobs for the Holyoke area.

What’s more, Energía’s structure means that the new workers have more than just a job. Via the internal Workers Trust program, after six months Energía’s employees become eligible for company profit-sharing and for participation in governance with board representation.

With such an innovative and people-focused company structure, and a company mission that benefits the local community by diminishing local reliance on fossil fuels, Energía easily fulfills the vision of community-development lenders like the Cooperative Fund of New England.

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