The Community Energy Center is established to pair students with real-world energy independence work in the local community. 

The Community Energy Center was established in 2016. The center connects student-led energy initiatives with the broader Downeast Maine community, facilitating the project generation, data collection, education and outreach. The Energy Center seeks to implement changes in homes, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities that prioritize local ownership and control of energy sources. The center is an incredible link between the intellectual and academic work that COA students do around topics such as sustainability and energy conservation and the communities where changes can be implemented to make tangible differences for the better. Sustainability is not just an intellectual pursuit, it requires hands-on work. The Community Energy Center is a conduit for this work to happen.