President Bill Clinton visits the Cornerstone Baptist Church
Former President Bill Clinton visited the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Bed-Stuy to see the energy-efficient upgrades the house of worship has received due to a Clinton Global Initiative University commitment.
The church received several energy efficiency upgrades, which President Bill Clinton praised as essential in the fight against climate change.
“This is a picture through which we can see a better future”, said Clinton.
The 102-year-old church was outfitted with high-tech, but low-cost eco-friendly technology, including efficient lights and a new cooling system.
“Some of the lowest cost responses are what you see happening in this church, and they all buy us 10, 20, 30 years before the worst happens for us to fix the whole thing.”
The retrofit by BlocPower, an energy startup founded by Donnel Baird courtesy of funding provided by the Clinton Global Initiative University. Baird committed to lowering energy costs across the country for small businesses, churches, and non-profits. Since committing in 2013, Baird has retrofitted over 1,000 locations in American cities.
The ecological benefits of the new green tech, church staff estimate the improvements will save them 30 to 40 percent a year on energy bills.