Here’s what’s been going on with sustainability the past few months.

Electrify Everything!

The South Portland Electric Tool Library and Swap Shop are up and running for the summer. Both spaces are open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through October. Courtesy photo

South Portland’s beneficial electrification rebate program is humming along. As of June 14, more than $160,000 provided in rebates for over 200 households for the purchase of equipment like electric vehicles, home heating and cooling solutions, and lawn care equipment. More than 60 households have installed electric heat pumps and over 100 new electric lawn care tools have received rebates as part of the program.

For anyone who hasn’t yet been able to take advantage of Electrify Everything!, there is still time. At the current pace, we anticipate having rebate funds available into September of this year, so you’ll want to get moving on your purchase or installation soon.

For more information about the rebate program, visit www.southportland.org/departments/sustainability-office/buildings-energy/electrify/.

100 Resilient Yards

One hundred green (or soon to be green) spaces across South Portland have been selected out of over 400 applications for the city’s inaugural 100 Resilient Yards lawn revitalization program. Technical assessments of these sites, which include soil tests, and site-specific assessments of drainage, property characteristics and challenges, and project recommendations are underway and ongoing throughout the month of June.

The sustainability department and our project partners are hard at work preparing resource packages and volunteers to help with implementation, which should commence in August, and we can expect to see the 100 Resilient Yards lawn signs at the selected sites in the coming weeks.

To stay up to date with all things 100 Resilient Yards, visit https://tinyurl.com/100-Resilient-Yards.

South Portland Electric Tool Library (SPETL) and Swap Shop

The South Portland Electric Tool Library and Swap Shop are up and running for the summer. Both spaces are open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through October.

In the first two weeks, almost every piece of electric lawn care equipment has been rented out to city residents. For more information about the SPETL, visit www.southportland.org/departments/public-works/transfer-facility/electric-tool-library/.

All electric tools are cataloged within the public library system. You can view available items using the search term “Ego power+” in the library’s online catalog before visiting the transfer station to check out a piece of equipment. Visit https://southportlandlibrary.com/ to search and view this collection.

The Swap Shop has been running at capacity for a little over a week now, so please remember to confirm with staff that donations are still being accepted before taking them out of your vehicle. As always, residents are encouraged to stop by and take home and repurpose anything available in the space.

For information about accepted donations, visit www.southportland.org/departments/public-works/transfer-facility/swap-shop/.

Our Sustainable City is a recurring column in the Sentry intended to provide residents with news and information about sustainability initiatives in South Portland. Follow the Sustainability Office on Instagram @soposustainability.

Steve Genovese is an AmeriCorps/Greater Portland Council of Governments Resilience Corps fellow serving in the South Portland Sustainability Office through September 2023. He can be reached at sgenovese@southportland.org.