NEIGHBORLY ADVICE
- Amy Lynn-Cramer
- 12 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Electrify SOMA harnesses community knowledge to help residents make sustainable choices
By Amy Lynn-Cramer
Maplewood and South Orange are known as places where residents value community. Connections begin in everyday moments: a quick exchange at school drop-off, a chat at the playground, or an introduction at a block party. As interactions build trust, neighbors often turn to one another for insight – the kind that comes from lived experience.
That neighborly instinct is what powers Electrify SOMA, a volunteer-led grassroots initiative that’s on a mission to help local families move away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner, smarter, more efficient technologies that make homes healthier and wallets happier.
Its approach isn’t political or corporate. It’s practical, local and deeply personal. The idea took shape when Kathleen Grant, who is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education and Affiliated Faculty, Environmental Studies at The College of New Jersey, and chair of the South Orange Environmental Commission (SOEC), and Bob McCoy, chair of Maplewood’s Environmental Advisory Committee, began noticing a similar pattern across both towns.
Residents wanted to make sustainable choices but felt paralyzed by confusion. Solar sales calls sounded like scams and federal and state rebate programs were complicated. To solve for this, Electrify SOMA was born: neighbors helping neighbors understand their options to save energy while also reducing climate warming emissions.
At the center of the group’s mission are what volunteers call the “Big 5” electrification solutions, which have the greatest environmental and financial impact:
Electric vehicles (EVs)
Heat pump HVAC
Heat pump water heater
Solar panels
Weatherization
“People are leaving money on the table because they don’t know how to access it or they don’t trust who’s offering to help,” Grant says. “And when a broken boiler or water heater is on its last legs, there’s no time for research. It’s in those moments that people just need someone who’s been there.”
That’s where Electrify SOMA steps in – not to sell, but as trusted neighbors who have walked the same path and who can help others do it more easily. “Our goal is to make sure they know what’s possible and who they can call,” Grant says.
One of those neighbors is Joe Gonzalez, a Maplewood resident and Electrify SOMA volunteer. A self-described tinkerer and car enthusiast, Gonzalez doesn’t consider himself an environmental activist. But he is someone who learns by doing and helps the next person. For Gonzalez, the turning point came unexpectedly. “It was Greta Thunberg,” he says. She was 16 when she addressed the United Nations Climate Action Summit, delivering her “how dare you” speech in which she told world leaders they weren’t doing enough to confront the climate crisis. “I realized I didn’t have an excuse.”
Within two days, Gonzalez traded in his gas car for an electric vehicle. “My wife thought I was crazy,” he says with a laugh. “It was the biggest impulse buy of my life. But it felt right.”
That first step led to others. During the next several years, Gonzalez installed solar panels, switched to a heat pump and electric water heater, weatherized his home and replaced his gas stove with induction. “I didn’t start with a master plan,” he says. “I just didn’t want to be wasteful. And once I started, it was like, ‘Why stop?’ ”
When Gonzalez received his first full month of energy credits through PSE&G’s off-peak charging program, he couldn’t believe it. Before enrolling, he was paying about $60 a month to charge his EV. The credit on his bill hovered around $30, effectively cutting his charging costs in half. “I was getting paid to drive,” he says. “I showed my neighbors my bill, and they thought it was fake.”
A neighbor sharing a utility statement is an example of Electrify SOMA’s methods. “We’re not talking about carbon or climate,” Gonzalez says. “We’re talking about real bills, real savings and real comfort.”
In September, more than 50 residents gathered at the Maplewood Memorial Library for an Electrify SOMA information session. The event included presentations, but the real connections happened afterward when attendees broke into small groups and had the opportunity to put a plan in place. Electrify SOMA volunteers asked practical questions: How old is your furnace? When might your roof need replacing? Together, they explored rebates and tax credits that fit their timeline. Attendees left with an informed roadmap and, in some cases, specific next steps.
Gonzalez recalls two attendees who were especially engaged: one exploring electric vehicles and another considering heat pumps. “The person interested in heat pumps had a forced-air system with an aging gas furnace,” Gonzalez says. “We talked about starting with home weatherization to reduce drafts, then getting estimates from contractors experienced in designing hybrid systems, combining a gas furnace and heat pumps. I helped her understand that because heat pumps are so efficient and don’t output as much heat as gas furnaces, the house itself has to hold the warmth as much as possible.”
“The other attendee wanted information about installing an EV charger,” he says. “I walked her through the incentives available from Charge Up New Jersey and PSE&G, and cautioned her to double-check eligibility online since the process can be slow. We also talked about electric panel capacity and the most convenient spot for the charger based on proximity to the main panel.”
Grant says these local conversations are where real progress begins. “We’ll always have events at libraries and town halls,” she says, “But the future of Electrify SOMA is around kitchen tables.” She envisions home tours and neighbor-to-neighbor workshops in which people can see, touch and experience new technology in a low-pressure way. “I’d rather have 10 people in my kitchen, pouring wine and trying my induction stove,” she says. “That’s when curiosity turns into action.”
Electrify SOMA’s volunteers know the obstacles residents face. “Time, money and knowledge,” Gonzalez says. “Those are the three barriers. But none of them are impossible if you have someone walking with you.”
Gonzalez has spent weekends at local fairs, green markets and car shows, answering questions from people who assume electric vehicles are luxury products. “I let them drive mine,” he says. “Then we talk about total cost, maintenance and resale value. Once people see the math, they start to get it.”
The group, which numbers 10 volunteers, is adding online resources and virtual office hours so residents can book time to speak with volunteers such as Gonzalez. “We don’t want perfect participants,” he says. “We want curious ones.”
The group also recognizes that electrification has to be equitable. Although higher-income households may see solar panels or EVs as upgrades, the biggest benefits often come to families with tighter budgets. “Lower monthly bills, state-level rebates and community solar programs can make a real difference, but only if people know they exist,” says Grant.
Electrify SOMA is working with community leaders and neighborhood groups to reach as many people as possible. In the Hilton neighborhood, volunteers have hosted meetings to explain incentives available to renters and apartment dwellers. Gonzalez says one of the most impactful options for those residents is Community Solar, a state program that allows anyone with an electric bill to subscribe to a share of energy generated by local solar farms. “It’s probably the most accessible program out there,” he says. “There’s absolutely no upfront cost to sign up, and customers typically receive discounts between 10 percent and 20 percent off the regular electric supply rates.” It can take a little digging on PSE&G’s website to find a participating provider, but Electrify SOMA volunteers can help guide residents through the process.
Although renters can’t install solar panels or major equipment, they can still save by joining Community Solar programs or, if they own certain appliances, by taking advantage of PSE&G’s incentives for energy-efficient upgrades like heat pump water heaters, induction ranges and heat pump dryers.
Even as Electrify SOMA grows, its volunteers know that sustainability isn’t a straight path. “There are frustrations, including conflicting headlines and shifting regulations,” says Grant. But the group remains grounded in one principle: start where you are and do what you can. “When we know better, we do better,” Grant says. “That’s not just a phrase for us. It’s a promise.”
“Electrify SOMA is a model for what community action can look like when trust leads the way,” she continues. Its volunteers are teachers, parents, retirees and professionals. They lead with stories, not statistics. And their message is as practical as it is hopeful: small local actions add up to global change. “Climate conversations don’t have to feel overwhelming,” says Grant. “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. When you multiply that across a community like ours, the impact is extraordinary.”
Visit electrifysoma.org for upcoming events and resources. To get help from a volunteer, complete the contact sheet on the website. Whether it’s at a library, a block party or a front porch chat, Electrify SOMA’s volunteers will walk beside you from there.
Here are a few of the most impactful incentives available to New Jersey residents. |
Electric vehicles: Up to $4,000 in instant savings when purchasing a new EV through the Charge-Up NJ program. Heat pumps: Up to $600 in rebates on HVAC systems, plus 0% financing for up to 10 years with PSE&G’s Energy Efficiency program. Home weatherization: Qualified residents receive energyefficient products installed at no cost from PSE&G. These may include an ENERGY STAR® certified smart thermostat, LED light bulbs, faucet aerators, efficient-flow showerheads, ShowerStart® showerhead adapters, advanced power strips and water heater pipe insulation. Heat pump water heater: A $750 post-purchase rebate is currently available from PSE&G. Solar panels: Anyone who installs solar in New Jersey can receive Solar Renewable Energy Credits based on the power generated. In most setups, this amounts to several thousands of dollars during the lifetime of the system. |
For more information, reach out to Electrify SOMA. |
Amy Lynn-Cramer is the founder of Cramer Connect. Although she doesn’t have an EV quite yet, it’s on her wish list this Christmas.
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