News from the Noteworthy from Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties
New Community Energy Advisor Ready To Help
CCE Schoharie and Otsego hired Michaela Fisher in the fall of 2024 to serve as a community energy educator in the region. Her background in education is varied, from a zoo to a nature preserve to an animal shelter. She now serves as the community energy advisor for Otsego and Schoharie counties under the Mohawk Valley Regional Clean Energy Hub. She and her hub serve all residents, nonprofits, and small businesses in the Mohawk Valley, with an emphasis on underserved communities and those with limited income.
But what does this mean for you? The short answer: Michaela is here to help you. As an energy educator, her role is to help her community become empowered to make their homes safe, comfortable and energy efficient. She’s willing to work with anyone in any situation to provide the best path forward for them, whether that’s technology upgrades or simple do-it-yourself measures.
If you want to explore more DIY measures in your home, you’re in luck because Michaela is offering her next weatherization workshop at the Southside Mall on Thursday, February 27 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Attendees can expect to learn how to make their homes more energy efficient and to receive a free meal and a free weatherization kit.
Michaela is ready to help you with larger home projects, too. She can connect you with government programs that can help finance some of those big upgrades you may have been putting off. For example, Empower+ is a program provided by NYSERDA that can offer homeowners and renters between $5,000.00-$10,000.00 toward things like insulation, air sealing, and heat pumps. Michaela can help walk you through the application process and connect you with a NYSERDA certified contractor to get you a free energy assessment of your home.
Even if you are just looking to learn more about clean energy, Michaela is ready to help. She and the other CEAs at the Mohawk Valley Hub can offer resources on jobs in clean energy, speak about electric vehicles, connect you to a community solar program, and more.
Contact Michaela and other CEAs on the hub’s website for more information: mohawkvalleyenergychoices.org/meet-our-team. If you prefer to speak over the phone, Michaela can be reached directly at (518) 234-4303, extension 114.
Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal employment opportunities. Liz Callahan is the executive director of CCESOC.