The Minnesota Energy Challenge, www.mnenergychallenge.org, a Web site-based community outreach program run by local nonprofit Center for Energy and Environment, is being promoted as a part of Natalie Baudler’s “Greening Internship” this summer.

Communities across the state use this Web site to educate residents about the impact of energy efficiency and conservation in their homes and encourage households to take action. More than 1,000 teams of cities, neighborhoods, businesses, congregations and schools are using the Energy Challenge to motivate more than 23,200 households from International Falls to Austin.

“The challenge is about individuals taking actions to reduce their own energy use and then empowering their neighbors, friends and employers to do the same,” explained Sheldon Strom, executive director of the Center for Energy and Environment. “If the State of Minnesota reduced its energy use by just 2 percent, it would save $300 million a year. Simple changes in energy habits at home, places of worship, schools and businesses can make a real difference.”

St. Olaf Lutheran Church hosted a workshop including the Energy Challenge in February with Pat Benson, Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy in Minnesota’s Creation Care coordinator. The city’s team standing has since improved from 154th to 70th place out of the 515 Minnesota cities involved. The record shows 44 members are saving $59,472 in energy dollars and 165,136 pounds of CO2 reduction per year.

“Climate change seems like such an overwhelming problem, but the Minnesota Energy Challenge allows us to see the impact of collective action,” Benson said. “When we each do what we can, the results are impressive.” The pledges and savings are accredited to home congregations as well as the LCPPM so progress can be tracked for Austin’s energy savings.

The Energy Challenge Web site includes a pledge, which shows the real-world impact of simple energy saving actions like replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, washing clothing in cold water and recycling. For those who would like to participate in the challenge but do not have Internet access, a paper challenge will be available in the many churches supporting Baudler’s internship.