General Info

Cape & Islands Self-Reliance is a non-profit 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) corporation, whose mission is to promote environmentally sound technologies and sustainable practices through education, advocacy and collective membership that provides tangible benefits.Cape & Islands Self-Reliance was founded in 1980 to identify, facilitate and educate the public about sound environmental practices that help protect our ecosystem. By educating and empowering the consumer, Self-Reliance acts as a catalyst in implementing cost-saving, pollution-reducing opportunities for homeowners, businesses and municipalities. Self-Reliance's community-supported buying cooperative was established over 20 years ago to place the purchasing power in the hands of the consumer by enabling citizens of Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts to buy necessary services at affordable group rates.In 1980, Self-Reliance was founded by a group made up of the New Alchemy Institute, the Housing Assistance Corporation of Cape Cod and the Wompanoag Tribal Council to help communities on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket attain self-reliance in energy, water and food. Our mission is to promote local environmental sustainability, primarily through renewable energy technologies and clean fuels such as biodiesel and renewably generated hydrogen. By educating and empowering the consumer, Self-Reliance acts as a catalyst in implementing cost-saving, pollution-reducing opportunities for homeowners, businesses and municipalities through the benefits of our community supported buying cooperative.Self-Reliance's efforts assured that the Massachusetts Restructuring Act protects the rights of municipalities to aggregate on behalf of their citizens, and to design and implement their own energy efficiency programs. The Cape Light Compact, made up of all 21 towns of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, now contracts for low electric rates and offers ratepayers the option of choosing to purchase green power.