The Pluralism Project at Harvard UniversityCenter Profile
Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light (2009)
(Interfaith)
P.O. Box 590564
Newton Centre MA 02459
Phone: 617-244-0755
Websites:
About
MIP&L is a non-profit initiative offering Massachusetts congregations of every religious tradition a comprehensive means of reducing energy consumption, lowering operating costs, and promoting clean, renewable energy in houses of worship and related buildings. In short, we are a mutual ministry working with the community of faith toward environmental justice and care of creation.
Description
Description
According to the organization's website, Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light is "a non-profit initiative to offer Massachusetts congregations of every religious tradition a comprehensive means of reducing energy consumption, lowering operating costs, and promoting non-polluting, renewable energy in houses of worship and related buildings." The website explains, "Per capita, per hour of use, houses of worship are often among the biggest wasters of energy, and the United States has more houses of worship than any other country." For this reason, Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light encourages houses of worship to set an example for their congregants by seeking to bring their structures in line with energy-efficient standards.
Membership
The organization consists of 55 churches, a Jewish temple and a synagogue, according to the member list on the group's website.
Services
MIP&L offers a variety of services to its member congregations, including applications for energy-saving programs, like GreenerWatts New England, the opportunity to purchase ReGen, a renewable energy product, and an oil-building aggregatation group, to reduce the price of heating oil for houses of worship. Also, members of MIP&L congregations can receive free home energy audits through MIP&L, to help them identify areas where they could reduce energy use.
History
According to the MIP&L website, "In 1994, Episcopal Power and Light was founded by the Reverend Sally Bingham and Steve MacAusland (who is the Co-Founder of MIP&L) as a religious response to global warming. Episcopal Power and Light had its earliest success in California where more than sixty churches switched from traditional power sources to clean and renewable electricity. Rev. Sally Bingham and Steve MacAusland then began to reach out to other denominations in other states, helping them to start 'Interfaith Power and Lights'. They planted the seeds for this 'IPL movement.' Each IPL is its own entity; they are not formally connected with each other, and each has its own approach as well as leadership."
Date Center Founded
2002
Membership
about 160 congregations
Affiliation with Other Communities/Organizations
National Interfaith Power & Light, San Francisco