Ecoshot:
An ambitious moonshot to accelerate ecological+economic development in our local communities

Cost-saving energy innovation is already here to transition our cities to budget-saving solutions today, while also creating local jobs and advancing community investment.Yet the key barriers for communities are:
capacity (time) + capability (know-how) + capital (funding).

We are creating an opportunity to advance public-private-people collaboration to advance equitable, innovative, and resilient cities.Every dollar saved from utility costs has the opportunity to be reinvested into a community's biggest needs, such as local economies, education, health, and more.

What's our "why"?

Cities, counties, school districts, colleges, and nonprofits are experiencing rising energy costs, impacting their short-term and long-term budgets. Local tax dollars are being given to utilities, instead of being invested locally. Many rural and underserved communities don't have the internal capacity, know-how, and funding to cut their energy costs. Over the next decade, towns and cities will become the center of energy jobs, resiliency, and innovation.

Who do we partner with?

Local Governments: We provide technical & funding assistance for underserved communities that lack the capacity and know-how to implement cost-saving energy solutions. We help create strategies around implementing: energy efficiency, solar, microgrids, electric vehicles, electric buses, biking infrastructure, and more. As fuel costs continue to rise and grid blackouts become more common, communities are looking toward cost-saving opportunities related to energy solutions and resiliency.Energy Companies: Local governments need technical assistance implementing these projects, such as installing+financing solar panels or EV charging infrastructure. We are building bridges between the public sector + the private sector.Financial Institutions: Communities need to finance these cost-saving solutions with project finance, leasing options, or grants. In many cases, energy savings can be used to repay project costs. Community banks can play a role in helping under-resourced organizations and families.Grantwriters: The latest federal legislation is bringing billions of $$$ to local communities, so we are connecting local governments to grants and grant writers with these time-sensitive funding opportunities.Philanthropy: Major philanthropists & corporations are committing philanthropic funding to meet their sustainability goals. We believe an opportunity exists to invest in local communities with cost-saving initiatives, instead of the typical tree-planting initiatives, to move the needle on economic, workforce, and community development in under-resourced cities.

About

Stuart Powell

Stuart is an author, consultant, and startup founder, based in the rural community of Oxford, North Carolina.In 2018, he released his book Ecoshot, a national vision to move America to a clean economy in order to be a key global player and compete with China. Many of his national ideas have become a reality through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Through EcoX Advisors, he is now working to connect under-resourced communities to federal/state programs, incentives, grants, and cost-saving solutions.The conversation around energy innovation involves helping communities cut rising energy costs to create long-term "sustainable budgets". Stuart grew up and currently lives in a rural, underserved community, so he sees first-hand the barriers to implementation that many similar communities face and the impacts aging infrastruction and high-energy costs has on financial budgets.Stuart previously worked at a policy advisory firm in Washington, DC. He later transitioned into sustainability by joining a mobility startup TransLoc, which was acquired by Ford. Stuart is also an advisor and board member with several organizations, including Climate Changemakers, Hope House, and the local Boys & Girls Club.

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