rocspot

ROCSPOT

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 20499, Rochester, NY 14602

Phone

585 484 1765

Email

<dr.susanspencer AT rocspot DOT org>

Website

http://rocspot.org

ROCSPOT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming Rochester, New York's economy from one powered by fossil fuels to one powered by solar technology.

ROCSPOT's (Rochester Solar Power Organizational Team) mission as a nonprofit is to coordinate and implement the Rochester Solar Initiative by utilizing existing resources and funding structures to transform our City. We will create an equitable, sustainable energy model for every resident in the Rochester city limits, and all of our Greater Rochester university and business partners. Our vision is a solar powered ROC as the hub of the national solar industry's R & D implementation sector by 2025.

Since our inception on November 17, 2014, ROCSPOT has generated both enormous interest in how the goals of the organization will be implemented at a community level, as well as interest in the overarching vision of our City. We recognize the enormous stress upon our inner city that a concentrated poverty cycle causes; solar can address this through both creation of high-quality entry level manufacturing jobs (achieved through the creation of our Solar Coalition industry, business, and university partners) and reduction of energy poverty through solar installations that follow a Microgrid philosophy as supported and created by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency (NYSERDA). Governor Cuomo’s recent commitments to both residential solar financing as well as rejuvenated manufacturing through alternative energy technologies have helped to ensure that both NYSERDA and NYPA are fully committed to not only NYS’ transition to renewable energies, but ensuring our position as the leader for our entire nation.

Our most critical deadlines that we met, in the 45 days we existed within 2014, include:

• 5 interviews with local and national media to explain our vision;
  

• initial commitments from 14 local businesses, universities, nonprofits, community organizations, interfaith coalitions, state and local government, and federal support through the Department of Defense and Department of Energy.

Some of our key partnerships include:

• Bausch+Lomb
  

• the Office of Strategic Innovation at City Hall
  

• the Department of Defense
  

• RIT
  

• U of R
  

• MCC.

We are currently the lead organization on three grants totaling over 50 M USD, with each of the three grants focused on a different component of the initiative. These will generate significant revenue for both neighborhood/education outreach and capital expense funding for specific needs within our manufacturing structure.

Our President, Dr. Susan Spencer, is simultaneously focused on these large scale manufacturing initiatives, through the creation and maintenance of the Rochester Solar Coalition, and the equally meaningful strategic interactions of her ROCSPOT board with neighborhood community centers, libraries, individual schools within Rochester City School District, City Hall’s numerous community and business liaisons, and as many individuals as possible residing within the City limits whom will benefit most from ROCSPOT’s implementation of the Rochester Solar Initiative.

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