Kilowatt Ours Blog

Kilowatt Ours has been broadcast on public television stations in over 70 cities across the United States, with more broadcast dates to come.  See the list of stations below.  More stations are added weekly so check back frequently or check local listings to see if your station is planning to show the film.  

If a broadcast is scheduled in your city, we have several opportunities for you to help get the word out about this important documentary: 

• Email this announcement to your community contacts and/or post it in your organizations’ newsletter and website.  
• Host a viewing in a home or community setting. Please contact “Screening [at symbol] KilowattOurs.org” for more information.
• Consider a donation or sponsorship to support this effort and bring this film to a wider audience.  Donations of $25 entitle you to a DVD and bulk rates are available.

If the film is not currently scheduled in your community, you may wish to contact the viewer services department at your local public television station to find out if they are planning to show this hopeful film which inspires energy conservation and change for most people who see it.   If the film has already been broadcast, you might wish to contact the station to see if they plan to show Kilowatt Ours again in the near future. 

Kilowatt Ours’ sponsors include:  Turner Foundation, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, The Sierra Club Foundation, Johnson Controls, Mother Earth News, Utne Reader, Stonyfield Farm, and Renewable Choice Energy.  

Kilowatt Ours Broadcast Schedule as of 11/17/2008

Note times and dates subject to change.  Please check your local listing to confirm broadcast information. 

CA

Monterey, Salinas, Watsonville, Santa Cruz, CA, KTEH-Digital (Channel 25.2), 11/18 at 12am

San Jose, CA, KTEH & KTEH-DT (Ch 9.2 and 54.1), 11/18 at 12am

San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, KCSM, 12/14 at 2am

San Francisco, KQED Public Television & KQED-HD, 12/28 at 6pm

San Francisco, KQED World, 12/28 at 9pm, 12/29 at 3am

Santa Rosa, CA, KRCB, KRCB-DT (Channel 22.1), 11/25 at 9pm

KY

Louisville, KY, KET2, 12/14 Sun 6pm , 12/26 Fri 3:00 PM

Statewide, KY, KET3 Instructional Television (visit www.ket.ort/tv/schedules/stations_ket3.htm, 12/15 Mon 11:00am, 12/27 Sat 12:00am

Statewide, KY, KET1, 12/30 Tue 3:00am, 12/30 Tue 9:00pm

NJ

Statewide New Jersey, NJN New Jersey Network, 11/17 at 10pm, 11/21 at 1am 

NY

New York, NY, WNJB & WNJB-DT1, WNJM, WNJN & WNJN-DT, 11/17 at 10pm, 11/21 at 1am

OH 

Cincinnati, OH, WPTO-DT6 ThinkTV14 Prime (digital14.3), 11/12 at 7pm, 11/14 at 1am, 11/15 at 7am, 11/16 at 1pm, 11/18 at 10pm, 11/20 at 4am, 11/21 at 10am, 11/22 at 4pm

PA

Philadelphia, PA, WNJS & WNJS-DT1, WNJT & WNJT-DT, 11/17 at 10pm, 11/21 at 1am

VA

Richmond/Charlottesville, VA, WCVE, 1/8/09 at 10pm

WA  

Seattle, WA, KCTS, 11/14 at 12pm noon, 11/18 at 11pm 

Yakima, WA, KYVE & KYVE-DT, 11/14 at 12pm noon, 11/18 at 11pm

WV

Bluefield, Beckley, Oak Hill, WV, WSWP & WSWP-DT & WVPBS, 11/23 at 10pm, 12/7 at 10pm

Charleston, Huntington, WV, WPBY & WPBY-DT, 11/23 at 10pm, 12/7 at 10pm

Clarksburg, Weston, WV, WNPB & WNPB-DT, 11/23 at 10pm, 12/7 at 10pm
Statewide, WV, WVPBS, 11/23 at 10pm, 12/7 at 10pm

Past Broadcasts on Public Television: 

AK

Anchorage, AK, KMXT & KYUK, 11/4 at 9pm, 11/5 at 3am

Fairbanks, AK, KUAC & KUAC-DT2, 11/4 at 9pm, 11/5 at 3am

Juneau, AK, KTOO & KTOO-HD, 11/4 at 9pm, 11/5 at 3am

Juneau, AK, KTOO- DT2, 11/3 at 8pm, 11/3 at 11pm, 11/4 at 2am, 11/4 at 5am, 11/4 at 10am, 11/4 at 4pm, 11/11 at 1am, 2am, 5am, 10am,and 4pm

CA

Los Angeles, CA, KLCS & KLCS-DT, 10/6 at 10pm

Sacramento, CA, KVIE & KVIE-HD, 10/8 at 2pm    

San Diego, CA, KPBS & KPBS-DT, 10/5 at 4pm    

San Francisco, CA, KQED World (Comcast 190), 10/3 at 8am, 10/3 at 11am     

DC     

Washington, DC, WHUT, 10/1 at 9pm 

FL  

Miami, FL, WPBT-DT2, 10/11 at 8pm, 10/13 at 1:30am   

Miami, FL, WLRN & WLRN-DT, 10/9 at 9pm, 10/10 at 2:30am   

West Palm Beach, FL, WXEL – 11/15 at 8pm

GA

Savannah, GA, WJWJ, 10/19 at 10 pm

ID

Boise and Twin Falls, ID, KAID and KAID-DT, 10/29/2008 at 3:00am

Idaho Falls-Pocatello, ID, KISU and KISU-DT, 10/29/2008 at 3:00am

Spokane, Coeur D’Alene, Moscow, ID, ID KCDT and KUID, 10/29/2008 at 3:00am

Twin Falls, ID, KIPT and KIPT-DT, 10/29/2008 at 3:00am

IN 

Evansville, IN, WNIN & WNIN-DT2, 11/6 at 8pm

Indianapolis, IN, WFYI & WFYI-DT2, 10/11 at 4pm, 10/18 at 4pm

Indianapolis, IN, WIPB & WIPB-HD, 10/24 at 1am

IL

Peoria, IL, WTVP & WTVP-DT, 10/28 at 8pm

KY   

Bowling Green, KY, WKGB-DT, 10/5 at 12pm Central, 10/9 at 6am & 4pm, 10/10 at 3am and 7pm, 10/11 at 12am & 2pm 

Lexington, KY, KETKY STATEWIDE & WKSO HD, 10/5 at 1pm, 10/9 at 6am & 4pm, 10/10 at 3am and 7pm, 10/11 at 12am & 2pm  

Louisville, KY, WKZT-HD, 10/5 at 1pm, 10/9 at 6am & 4pm, 10/10 at 3am and 7pm, 10/11 at 12am & 2pm 

Paducah, KY, WKMUHD & WKPDHD, 10/5 at 1pm Eastern, 10/9 at 6am & 4pm, 10/10 at 3am and 7pm, 10/11 at 12am & 2pm 

KS

Wichita, KS, KPTS & KPTS-D1, 11/16/2008 at 11pm

LA

New Orleans, LA, WLAE, 10/20 at 8pm 

MD  

Baltimore, MD, WHUT, 10/1 at 9pm

MI     

Alpena, MI, WCML, 10/12 AT 3pm

East Lansing, MI, WKAR World Cable 904, 10/9 at 8pm

East Landing MI, WKAR & WKARC, WKAR-DT, WKAR-DT2, 10/27 at 11pm   

Flint/Saginaw/Bay City, MI, WCMU, 10/12 at 3pm   

Grand Rapids, MI, WGVU, 10/19 at 5pm, 10/16 at 4 am   

Traverse City, Cadillac, MI, WCMV & WCMW, 10/12 at 3pm   

MN

Bemidji/Brainerd, MN, Lakeland Public Television, KAWB/KAWB-DT2/KAWE/KAWE-DT2 10/30 at 8PM

Minneapolis, St. Paul MN, Lakeland Public Television, Channel 22 (Direct TV and Dish Network satellite), 10/30 at 8PM

MO

Cape Girardeau, MO, WKMU-HD & WKPD-HD, 10/5 at 1pm, 10/9 at 6am & 4pm, 10/10 at 3am and 7pm, 10/11 at 12am & 2pm 

Columbia/Jefferson City, MO, KMOS, 10/12 at 11PM  

Joplin-Pittsburg, MO, KOZJ & KOZJDT1, 10/19 at 10:00 pm

Springfield, MO, KOZK & KOZKDT1, 10/19 at 10:00 pm

NC

Asheville, NC, UNC-TV, 9/23 at pm 

Asheville, NC, UNC-NC, 10/12 at 7pm, 10/12 at 10pm, 10/13 at 2am, 10/13 at 5am 

Charlotte, NC, WNSC-DT2, 9/23 at 2pm     

Charlotte, NC, WUNEDT5, 10/12 AT 7pm, 10/12 at 10pm, 10/13 at 2am, 10/13 at 5am

Charlotte, NC, WUNE-DT4, 10/24 at 4am

Greensboro/High Point/Winston Salem, NC, UNC-TV, 10/23 at 10pm    

Raleigh/Durham, NC, UNC-TV STATEWIDE, 10/23 at 10pm  

Raleigh/Durham, NC, UNC-NC & WUNC-NC STATEWIDE, 10/12 at 7pm, 10/12 at 10pm, 10/13 at 2am, 10/13 at 5am

Raleigh/Durham, NC, WUNC-ED & UNC-ED STATEWIDE, 10/24 at 5am

Wilmington, NC, WUJNJ-DT5, 10/12 at 7pm, 10/12 at 10pm, 10/13 at 2am, 10/13 at 5am

Wilmington, NC, WUNJ-DT4, 10/24 at 5am

NC

Charlotte, NC, WTVI/WTVI-DT, 11/1 at 4am, 11/5 at 4am, 11/11 at 1am

Charlotte, NC, WUNE-DT5, 10/27 at 1pm at 9pm, 10/28 at 12am

Raleigh/Durham, NC, WUNC-NC & UNC-NC STATEWIDE, 10/27 at 1pm, 10/27 at 9pm, 10/28 at 12am

Wilmington, NC, WUNJ-DT5, 10/27 at 1pm, 10/27 at 9pm, 10/28 at 12am

NV

Las Vegas, NV, PBS Jackpot Cable111, 10/25 at 4:01 AM, 10/25 at  9AM, 10/25 at 2:01 pm,

Las Vegas, NV, KLVX & KLVX-DT, 10/5 at 6:30pm    

Las Vegas, NV, PBS Rewind Cable 110, 10/8 at 4pm    

NY

Buffalo, NY, WNED and WNEDDT1, 10/15/2008, 4:00 AM

Syracuse, NY, WCNY, WCNYDT, WCNYOFF, 10/12/2008, 3:00 PM        

Watertown, NY, WPBS, WPBS-2 WNPI, WNPI-DT1, 11/16 at 4pm

OH 

Cincinnati, OH, WCVN-DT4, 10/5 at 1pm, 10/9 at 6am & 4pm, 10/10 at 3am and 7pm, 10/11 at 12am & 2pm 

Cincinnati, OH, WPTO & WPTO-DT2, 10/29 at 10pm, 10/30 at 4am 

Cincinnati, OH, WPTO-DT3, 10/31 at 1am, 10/31 at 10pm, 11/1 at 7pm, 11/2 at 7am, 11/2 at 4pm, 11/3 at 4am, 11/3 at 1pm, 11/4 at 10am   

Cleveland, OH, WVIZ, 10/16 at 4am, 10/27 at 1am  

Cleveland, OH, WEAO & WEAODT, 11/16 at 12pm

Lima, OH, WBGU & WBGU-DT1, 10/5 at 1pm   

Toledo, OH, WGTE-DT, 11/6 at 8pm, 11/7 at 12am, 11/7 at 4am

Youngstown, OH, WNEO & WNEO-DT2, 11/16 at 12pm

OK

Oklahoma City, OK, KETA, KETA-DT & KWET, 10/7 at 10pm    

Tulsa, OK, KRSC & KRSC-DT, 9/28 at 4pm     

Tulsa, OK, KOED & KOED-DT1 & KOED- HD & KOET, 10/7 at 10pm  

OR

Medford, OR, SOPT Cable Channel 21, 10/24 at 9pm, 10/26 at 3am, 11/1 at 6pm 

PA

Philadelphia, PA, WHYY-DT3 Wider Horizons, 10/31 at 11am, 11/2 at 7am

SC

Greenville/Spartanburg, SC, WUNF-DT4, 10/27 at 1pm, 10/27 at 9pm, 10/28 at 12am

Greenville/Spartanburg, SC, WUNDC, 10/27 at 1pm, 10/27 at 9pm, 10/28 at 12am

PA

Philadelphia, PA, WHYY-DT3 Wider Horizons, 10/6 at 1PM , 10/8 at 10am, 10/10 at 1pm, 10/15 at 1pm, 11/3 at 10am, 11/6 at 12 pm, 11/7 at 11am, 11/12 at 11am and 1pm

Erie, PA, WQLN & WQLNHD, 10/16 at 1:00AM

SC

Augusta, Allendale, SC WEBA, 10/19, 10 pm

Charleston, SC, WITV-DT, 9/23 at 2pm    

Columbia, SC STATEWIDE, SCETV, 9/23 at 2pm    

Columbia, SC, WRLK-D2, 9/23 at 2pm    

Greenville/Spartanburg, SC, WNEH-DT2 & WNTV-DT2, 9/23 at 2pm    

Greenville/Spartanburg, SC, WUNFDT4 & WUNDC, 10/12 at 7pm, 10/12 at 10pm, 10/13 at 2am, 10/13 at 5am

Greenville/Spartanburg, SC, WUND-DT4, 10/24 at 5am

South Carolina, ETV, WRLK, WRLKD1, WRLKD2, 10/19 at 10pm

South Carolina, ETV, WRLK, and SC Channel, 10/22 at 10 pm

TN

Knoxville, TN, WETP, WETP-DT2 & WKOP, WKOP-DT2, 10/9 at 10pm, 10/12 at 2pm  

Memphis, TN, WKNO, 10/22 at 8pm    

Nashville, TN, WNPT, 10/24 at 7pm    

TX

Austin, TX, KLRU, 10/10 at 1:30 am, 10/25 at 2am, KLRU, 11/6 at 2am

Corpus Christi, TX, KEDT & KEDT-DT, 10/27 at 7pm

Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen, TX, KMBH & KMBH-DT,10/25 at 8pm

Waco-Temple-Bryan, Belton, TX, KNCT, KNCTDT2, 10/23 at 9:00 pm

Waco-Temple-Bryan, Belton, TX, KWBU, 11/2 at 11pm

VA

Harrisonburg, VA, WVPT, WVPT-DT, & WVPY, 11/9 at 4pm

Richmond, VA, WCVW, 11/13 at 9pm

VT

Vermont Public Television STATEWIDE, VPT, 10/28 at 9pm 

WA  

Spokane, WA, KCDT & KUID, 10/29 at 3am

Spokane, WA, KCDT-DT & KUID-DT, 10/29 at 2am

WI

Milwaukee, WI, WMVS, 10/15 at 10pm,11/15 at 8am

WV

Bluefield, Beckley, Oak Hill, WV, WSWPDT2 & WVPBS2, 9/30 at 8pm    

Charleston/Huntington, WV, WPBY-DT2 , 9/30 at 8pm    

Clarksburg, Weston, WV, WNPB-DT2, 9/30 at 8pm     

The film Kilowatt Ours shows the city of Austin as they built what they call an “energy conservation power plant.”  Rather than build a new coal-fired power plant, the community decided it was a priority to advocate aggressive energy conservation efforts instead.  After 20 years, Austin now saves more than 600 megawatts of electricity every day — one power plant worth of electricity, generated strictly from energy savings.  Here is a link to watch a short clip from Kilowatt Ours, featuring this initiative. 

Austin offers a catchy and doable vision that can be achieved on any scale, in any community in America that makes this a priority, beginning today.  An individual homeowner or apartment dweller can build a tiny conservation power plant in their abode by changing light bulbs and cutting usage by several kilowatt hours per month.  A business, school, or institution can do the same on a larger scale by investing in a performance contract.  An entire city or municipal utility can go even further and commit to a program on the scale of Austin.

Here are the steps you can take to help build a conservation power plant in your home, business, organization, or community. 

1. Watch the film.  If you have not seen the film, click here to check if there is a screening in your area.  If the film is not showing on public television or at a community screening, you can receive a free DVD with a donation of $25.  Click here for details.   
2. Visit the Kilowatt Ours website.  Now that you are here on the website be sure to visit our Community Page and Forums for resources to help you begin saving energy and begin building a Conservation Power Plant.   
3. Take the pledge.  Make a commitment to save energy and Join the Kilowatt Ours community.  Our online pledge is coming soon. 
4. Conduct an Energy Audit.   Conducting a home energy audit is an important step, allowing you to get statistics and data about your energy use and the energy efficiency of your home so you know what improvements you can make to save energy.   This “do-it-yourself” online energy audit will provide basic information about your energy consumption.   A professional audit will provide more accurate information about your energy use and may reveal information such as sealing/air leaks and areas where insulation is missing or can be improved.  Check with your local utility provider to see if they offer free or reduced pricing on home energy audits for their customers.  If your local utility does not offer this service, there are many businesses that can be found through an online search.  
5. Record your Progress.  The Kilowatt Counter is a tool that allows you to report your energy savings and check back from month to month to track your energy bills and record your progress.  Note when you click on the link above you will be directed to create a user profile and once you’ve created this, the Kilowatt Counter will ask a series of questions that will help identify your energy savings.      
6. Enlist your community.   You can enlist others to join your efforts by sharing the film through a home or community screening, and asking them to join our 6-Step Conservation Power Plant initiative.  We encourage you to reach out to:  family & friends, schools, your work or place of business, organizations to which you belong including congregations, and your community including local, city and state government organizations.

Kilowatt Ours is in the news.  “The Huffington Post” recently featured a clip from the film showing the how the city of Austin built a “conservation power plant.”  Click links below to see the full stories:   

Follow Austin’s Example—Cut Back on Energy and Save Big

How Green is Austin?

I was a guest on Nashville News Channel 5’s “Open Line” program, and “Kilowatt Ours” was featured in the Tennessean earlier this month.  My alma mater, UCLA ran a feature in The Daily Bruin, and the film was featured in Earth magazine.

Two radio programs hosted me recently. Deborah Lindsay featured me on her “Tomorrow Matters” radio program (a link will be posted soon), and Charlie Geiger interviewed me for the The USA Green Lady blog radio website.

Our partnership with Johnson Controls has also been in the news, with features on the Renewable Energy website and Ethical Markets. 

We’ve had lots of great exposure for our important message of energy conservation.  Be sure to explore our website, join our network, and help us continue to get the word out about the film and its message of hope. 

This is Jennifer here, Kilowatt Ours Youth Initiative Director (and Jeff’s sister).

The school year is getting underway already and I will report periodically about students and schools taking exciting, energy-saving actions as we progress through the fall semester. For the moment, I want to share that I recently had the opportunity to present to a group of folks at the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity office, who will be moving in to their Habitat homes sometime this fall or next spring. This particular group is lucky enough to own Energy Star qualified homes!

I so enjoyed sharing the film with them, talking about Energy Star and home ownership, and giving them many ideas about how they can save even more energy in their already- efficient homes. I was able to give them all some CFLs, and they were so appreciative for both the bulbs and the practical information. One inquisitive woman commented that everyone should know about Kilowatt Ours! I couldn’t agree more!

Yes, Kilowatt Ours will be available for broadcast on public television stations this fall.  To find out if it will be aired in your community, please contact your local public TV station viewer services department.
This is an exciting time for us as we have a wonderful chance to share this message with a much larger audience.  We have many activities planned and opportunities for your community to be involved, so stay tuned!

My good friend and web marketing mastermind Chris Loch (www.whatisyoursecret.com) reminds me weekly that a new blog is created every second, somewhere in the cyber-world.  HOWEVER, one blogs dies every minute.  Those a fairly decent odds in our favor, and the last thing I want is for the Kilowatt Ours blog to become a statistic.  Yet, as you can see, it has been more than a month since my last post, bringing us painfully close to achieving the “blog demise factor.”

Today, my intent is to turn this around and make a commitment to a minimum of one new post per week, starting today.  That’s 52 new posts each year on average, so if I miss a week, I am covered as long as I post two the following week, or something like that.  You will see posts from me and the Kilowatt Ours staff –  news about our project, energy saving tips, and success stories that we learn about in our work to forge energy solutions for America (the best solution being conservation!).

This is an exciting time for Kilowatt Ours, as we prepare for national public TV distribution beginning this fall, and a fresh, new, interactive website and online community of energy successes and solutions coming soon.  I don’t want you to miss it, so, as I make this commitment to weekly blog posts, please do you part and tune in!

I welcome your comments on my first video blog.  This short, 2-minute video tells the story of my recent date with my wife Heather.  We had a blast and didn’t spend a dime on gasoline.

Check out the video, and please comment.

This morning I would like to say congratulations to Jennifer Barrie (my sister) for her steadfast and inspiring work taking Kilowatt Ours into schools and teaching students in Nashville and across Tennessee how to become energy conservation leaders.  The Kilowatt Ours Youth Initiative, designed and implemented by Jen over the past two years, just won the 2008 Governor’s Stewardship Award for Environmental Education.  This is a wonderful affirmation of hard work, dedication, AND the enthusiasm of young people helping our environment by saving energy in their homes, schools and communities.

Congratulations to Jen, and to all the teachers and thousands of students who are helping to change the world!

To download our award-winning schools curriculum, visit www.KilowattOurs.org/curriculum

To learn about the other Stewardship Award winners, visit www.tn.gov/environment/awards

I just learned that Kilowatt Ours won “Best Documentary Feature” at the 2007 South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen (September 21-23)!

This is a great honor, particularly since my dad Jim grew up on a homestead not far from Aberdeen, in Turton, South Dakota (population 65). We spent many summer vacations on the vast, flat, green pastures of this beautiful state, and I consider it one of my favorite special places.

Thank you South Dakota!

Today, I am saddened to learn about the untimely passing of my friend Jim Hager.  My memories of Jim revolve around our time working together to save America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from politically-motivated oil drilling, and to advance more sensible solutions.  Jim and Jon joined me for a day in 2001 during a drive across Tennessee, comparing the fuel economy of an SUV and a more fuel efficient passenger car, while exploring our state in search of clean energy solutions.  Jim always made himself (and Jon) available for this cause, and others.  He displayed courage to use his talents to make a difference in the world.

Jim was an impassioned environmentalist, and a man of integrity.  I am honored to have had a chance to know him, and experience his wit, gentlemanly charm and boundless heart.

Thank you Jim!